Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell
by ForceWalker
Summary: All Hope the Hedgehog wanted was to be a hero, but when he encounters the dangerous Chaos the Hedgehog, everything changes. Now he must do all he can to stop the Chaos and the forces of evil from destroying the world. Heaven and Hell will be unleashed.
1. The Beginning Part 1

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

* * *

The Beginning Part 1

In a small town far from the big cities, everything was going through its normal routine. The town seemed nice, but it was far from it. Gangs of criminals and scum controlled the town, and all of them hanged out at a bar, and no one who wasn't a part of them dared to go in there. In fact, they threatened the townsfolk everyday on a weekly basis, making sure they stay in fear and never try to break free from their control. But today would change all that.

As the townsfolk were all going about their usual business, a new figure had entered the town. He was wearing a blue cloak that covered his body and wore a hood over his face, covering it. Everyone seemed surprised by his coming, but ignored it and went back to their business. The hooded figure came up to one of townsfolk.

"Where can I get food and water?" he asked.

"Well, the best food and drinks are at the bar over there," the resident replied, pointing to the bar. "But that's controlled by the criminal gangs. Not the best place to go to. I'll show you another place where you can eat." But the figure seemed to focus his eyes on the bar, and began walking towards.

"Hey what are you doing?!" the man shouted.

The hooded figure entered the bar, earning unwanted attention of all the criminals in it. The figure ignored all the stares that he was receiving and seated himself at a table.

"I need some food and water," he simply said.

The waiter thought he was crazy to be here, but followed his order and went to get the food and water. The criminals then circled around the figure, giving him menacing glares.

"You shouldn't be here," one of them said.

"Like you shouldn't be in this town," the figure replied.

"We control this town, buddy," another said. "We have every right to be here. You, however, are trespassing in this bar. And you are going to pay for it…painfully."

The criminal slammed his fist into the table, breaking it into pieces, but the figure wasn't phased at this.

"It's time I kicked you all out of this town," the figure said.

"Yeah, like you…" the criminal never got a chance to finish as he was kicked halfway across the room.

The figure pulled out a sword with a pure white blade with detailed markings and an ocean blue hilt adorned with vermillion crystals.

"I think you all should know who I am," the figure said.

He took off his cloak and was revealed to be a 15-year old snow white hedgehog with six quills standing straight up, yellow streaks on each one, blue eyes, and had scars over his left eye, chest, and right arm. He wore a green sleeveless jacket that had the kanji of hope on the back, green fingerless gloves, blue boots with white straps, metal bracelets around the wrists, a sheath for his sword strapped to his back, and a jewel necklace around his neck.

"I am Hope the Hedgehog!" he exclaimed. "Son of Saria and Nosan! And as a hero, I'm going to kick you all out of this town!"

"Get him!" one of them yelled.

The criminals charged ahead at Hope, but the hedgehog wasn't worried. In a show of great speed, Hope swept past all of them, giving each one a strike with his sword. When he was done, the criminals fell to the ground unconscious. More of them came and one threw a punch at the swordsman, but his punch went right through him as it turned out to be and afterimage. The criminal was then kicked in the face by the real Hope, and sent into the wall. More of them then surrounded Hope, but with great skills, spun around with his sword, creating a wave of wind that sent them all away. Some of them got knives and tried to stab the hedgehog, but Hope easily blocked the blades and took them out. All of them then charged at Hope, but the white hedgehog then gained a white aura.

An explosion came from the bar, surprising all the townsfolk. Seconds later, all the criminals that were in the bar began to run out of the bar like their lives depended on it and soon ran out of town. Hope exited the bar with a somewhat angry expression at the fleeing criminals.

"And stay out of this town!" he shouted at him.

Hope then noticed all the people were staring at him with shocked expressions. The townsfolk then screamed in joy as they went up to the swordsman and raised him in the air, shouting praise for the warrior. Hope was happy to see he had done good for this town, but was utterly disappointed by his opponents he faced.

Later, Hope was taken to an expensive house that was used for private V.. Hope was being served a special dinner for his services.

"Thank you so much!" the mayor said gratefully. "We owe you a debt of gratitude!"

"It was my pleasure. I am a hero, after all." Hope took a bite of an apple. "But those guys were utterly weak. I hate fighting weak opponents. I've trained with the best, but maybe I've gotten too good."

"Just who are you?" the mayor asked.

"I'm Hope the Hedgehog. I'm a hero who just wanders around this world, helping out others when needed."

"Well you will forever be remembered by us," the mayor said. "You can sleep here for the time you are here."

"Thank you very much," Hope said gratefully.

--

Later that night, Hope was sleeping in bed, but it wasn't peacefully. The snow white hedgehog was tossing and turning in his bed, his dreams filled with bad memories.

--

_A 5 year-old Hope watched in horror as his father was struck down by this unknown person. He was in fear, shock, and sadness all at the same time. _

"_Mommy!" Hope shouted. _

"_Everything is going to be all right Hope," Saria reassured her. _

"_No it won't," the unknown said. _

"_You have struck down the one I love," Saria said coldly. "I will never forgive for what you've done." _

"_Don't worry, you'll be joining him soon…in the afterlife." _

_The two then did battle, as the young Hope helplessly watched. He could do nothing as his mother fought with this assassin. The unknown looked towards the little hedgehog and grinned malevolently._

"_What are you doing?!" Saria asked. _

"_If I can't kill you, then I'll do the next best thing: kill your own son!" The male dashed towards the defenseless Hope, knife in hand. _

_Hope closed his eyes in fear, and waited for the inevitable. _

"_NO! HOPE!" Saria shouted. _

_Hope then heard the knife pierce something, but it wasn't him that pierced him. He opened his eyes, and gazed in shock as he saw the knife had pierced his mother, who had used herself as a shield. _

"_MOMMY!" Hope shouted. Saria fell backwards to the ground, the knife in her stomach. Saria looked at her son, and smiled._

"_Don't worry, Hope," Saria said softly, caressing his face. "Even if I'm gone, I'll still be with you, in your heart." _

"_Mommy…" Hope said slowly, tears in his eyes. "Please don't go. I lost Daddy. I don't want to lose you too." _

"_Hope, don't be sad," Saria said. "We'll see each other again. I'm sure of it. Become strong, Hope. Bring hope to all. I love you, Hope."_

_Saria then closed her eyes, as her hand fell to the ground and her body went limp. Hope cried his heart out as tears of sorrow streamed down his face. _

"_Mission accomplished," the unknown said. "Time to burn down this house." Next thing Hope knew everything was in flames, and they were about to engulf him._

--

Hope shot out of his bed, panting from the intensity of the dream. He held his head in shock as he was forced to live the worst memory he had in his dream, which had happened on more than one occasion. He just could not get past his parent's death. It haunted him like a ghost from the past. He felt the entire weight of it bearing down on him. He was all alone in this world, with no one to help him. Hope sighed and fell down on his back on the bed. Hope knew he didn't have any friends anywhere, and he didn't try to make any. He felt it was best for him not to have any friends. People would wonder why a hero like him wouldn't have any friends, and didn't want any.

It was simple, really. He felt he didn't have the power to protect them. He couldn't do anything to save his parents all those years ago, and that has haunted him for his entire life. Even though he was a lot stronger, he didn't have the faith to believe he could protect his friends from all the dangers. He decided that he would a lone wanderer, travelling the Earth, learning to be a great swordsman and hero. He would have no friends, that way he would have nothing to lose. He would not experience the pain of losing those close to him ever again. Hope was about to close his eyes and let slumber take him again when he heard an explosion.

Hope shot up at the sound of an explosion, and looked out the window. He was shocked to see half of the town destroyed, buildings in rubble and people running for their lives. Hope, faster than thought possible, got dressed, grabbed his sword, and headed outside. Hope saw that all was in ruin and people were getting hurt as blasts of strange energy were coming from the sky, attacking the town. Hope watched the destruction in absolute shock.

"What the hell is going on?!" the hedgehog shouted.

Then out of nowhere, fire landed right next to him, and the swordsman backed away in fear. Hope had to find out what was happening, and so he ran off to find the answer.

Hope ran through the destroyed town, determined to find out who was responsible for all of this. Everywhere he went, he saw explosions and people dying left and right. Hope clenched his fists in anger.

"_This can't go on!" _he thought.

He soon found who he was looking for. He saw what looked to be a violet and ebony hedgehog, with seven upward quills, each one having a scarlet tip. He wore blue silk pants, a grey sash around the waist, green shoes, gauntlets with a black sun on each one, and had the kanji of chaos tattooed on his back. The hedgehog had his back turned towards Hope, watching the destruction that was taking place.

"Who are you?!" Hope shouted at the hedgehog.

The hedgehog, now aware of Hope, turned around and revealed his face, showing an X-shaped scar on his face and blood red eyes, which stared right into Hope's eyes.

"I am Chaos the Hedgehog."

**Our adventure begins as Hope comes face to face with Chaos the Hedgehog. Just who is he? Did he cause the destruction of the town? What will happen next? How will this all end? Find out in the next chapter of Heaven and Hell.**


	2. The Beginning Part 2

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

* * *

The Beginning Part 2

Hope stared right into the eyes of Chaos, never leaving the gaze of the mysterious hedgehog.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hope asked him.

Chaos just chuckled at the answer. "What does it look I'm doing? I'm destroying this town," the hedgehog replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But why?!" Hope shouted at him. "Why are you destroying this town?! What do you gain from it?!"

Chaos still chuckled, which turned into full blown laughter. "Why am I destroying this town?" Chaos replied rhetorically. "Because I want to. I find pleasure in it. What I gain from it is satisfaction. It fuels me. I enjoy the pain and destruction. I am going to destroy this entire world one day, and no one will stop me."

"Are you insane?!" Hope asked.

Chaos held his hand, his index finger and thumb an inch away, implying he was a little.

"I won't let you get away with this Chaos!" Hope unsheathed his sword and went into a fighting stance.

Chaos just smirked at this. "Many heroes like you have tried to stop me, and in the end failed and met death. What makes you think you're different from them?!"

"Because I'm the Hope the Hedgehog, and I swear that I will stop you."

Chaos just cackled at this statement and stared at Hope with a sadistic expression. "Well, Hope, if you're that stupid and heroic, then you'll just have to burn in hell!" In a swirl of dark energy, Chaos summoned dual ebony blades with grey markings and purple V-shaped hilts in his hands. "Prepare to die at the hands of the God of Destruction!"

"God of Destruction? Please, that so cliché," Hope said as he dashed towards Chaos.

Hope swung his sword down at the dark being, but Chaos easily blocked the attack with a blade. Then, with unbelievable speed, spun around and swung his free blade at the swordsman. Hope backed off just as the blade nicked his cheek. The snow white hedgehog touched his cheek as blood ran down from the cut. Hope clenched his fist, and made another mad dash at Chaos.

Hope swiped his blade at Chaos, but was blocked again. Hope went on the offensive as he unleashed a flurry of attacks on the dark hedgehog, but Chaos effortlessly blocked each one. Then, with swift speed, kicked Hope in the gut, stunning him. Chaos then brought his hand together, and the glowed with dark energy forming a large purple arrow.

"CHAOS LANCE!"

The arrow made contact with Hope's chest, and sent him flying across the area, and landing on the ground with blood coming out his mouth. Chaos laughed at this.

"If this is the best you got, then I'm sorely disappointed. I have an unparalleled mastery over chaos energy. You don't stand a chance!"

"You be surprised at what I can do," Hope replied, sitting up, and wiping away the blood.

Hope kicked up and dashed toward Chaos, who was about to strike, but the hedgehog was taken back when Hope phased through him and disappeared.

"An afterimage?!" Chaos shouted. "Then where is the real…" Chaos was cut off as Hope swiped his blade at his back, allowing Chaos to feel pain. Hope then kicked the dark being in the back of the head, Chaos falling to the ground as a result.

"Never underestimate me," Hope told them.

Chaos got up, and stood in shock. He touched his back, where the cut was, and looked at the blood. No one had ever harmed him before today. No one, ever since he was little, had done damage to him, ever caused him pain. Chaos clenched his fist in anger, and turned towards Hope.

"I'll make you pay for what you've done to me!" he roared.

Chaos dashed towards Hope, and swiped a blade at him. Hope blocked the strike in time, and sparks flew as their blades clashed with one another. The two locked their blades and engaged each other in a staredown.

"You are going to die," Chaos told him.

"Not going to happen," Hope replied.

Chaos was all of a sudden pushed back by an unknown force, and fell to the ground. The hedgehog held his stomach in pain, and saw Hope's hand glowing with light.

"Did you like my light magic?" Hope asked him.

"Magic?" Chaos said bewildered.

"You didn't think sword skills were the only skills I knew, did you?" Hope smirked.

Chaos just growled as a dark aura surrounded him. Chaos got up, a dark swirling energy surrounding his blades. Hope formed a sphere of light in his hands and threw it at Chaos, but the hedgehog destroyed it with a swipe. He formed the swirling energy into an orb of ebony between the blades and shot it at Hope. The swordsman was able to knock the orb away with his sword, but Chaos used the distraction to punch Hope in the face. The hero staggered and Chaos used the opportunity to slice Hope several times and then hit him into the air.

Chaos jumped into air towards Hope, and summoned many small purple spears of energy all around the hedgehog.

"CHAOS BOMBARDMENT!"

The spears all came at Hope, each one making a direct hit, and the swordsman fell to the ground with wounds all over his body. Chaos thought he had won this as he walked up towards Hope, but was totally off-guard when Hope suddenly pointed his sword at him, which was glowing with a bright light.

"F*** you," Hope muttered.

A beam of light shot from the sword, hitting Chaos in the chest and sending him into the air, and the dark hedgehog soon fell off the beam and fell down to the ground, groaning in pain. Hope used his sword to help himself as he limped towards where Chaos was. Imagine his surprise when Chaos, difficulty, stood up, panting like crazy.

"No one has ever give me as much trouble as you," Chaos said, his blades covered in darkness. "I'm going to make sure you get a slow and painful death."

"I'm not going to let you win," Hope replied, his sword gaining a brilliant light. "You have to be stopped at all costs."

"Then do so if you can!" Chaos roared.

Both hedgehogs ran towards each with the last of their strength, their swords ready for the final strike. They both swung, and then there was silence. They both stood a few feet from each other, their backs turned towards each other. Nothing moved or spoke as moments of silence, when finally…

"Damn you, Hope," Chaos said, as he sunk to his knees, holding the bleeding wound on his side. "You'll pay for this. You'll pay for interfering with my destruction and doing this to me. We'll meet again." The dark being then disappeared in a purple flash of light, leaving Hope all alone.

Hope stood where he was for a few seconds before finally speaking. "And stay out," Hope said before falling to the ground, passing out from exhaustion.

--

Hope slowly, difficultly, opened his eyes. Everything was too bright for him at the moment, and it took him a few moments before his vision became clear. He was in some sort of white room, and he had no idea how he ended up here. When he tried to sit up, pain ached through his body. Hope discovered that's parts of his body were covered in bandages, and then he remembered his battle with Chaos.

"_Damn, that Chaos gave me a heck of a beating,_" Hope thought. "_That had to be the toughest fight of my life._" Hope then realized that his bed was surrounded by several townsfolk and the mayor.

"Oh thank goodness you're awake," the mayor said with relief. "You had one heck of a battle with that dark hedgehog. You were so badly hurt that we had to take you to the hospital."

"So that's where I am," Hope replied.

"That hedgehog destroyed more than half of the town. Luckily he didn't destroy the hospital. We are grateful that you stopped that hedgehog when you did. You saved what was left of the town."

"Yeah, but that hedgehog nearly killed me in the process," Hope told them. "I've never faced an opponent like him before."

"Well, at least that's the last we've seen of him," the mayor said with a smile."

Hope shook his head to signify a no to his statement, confusing them all.

"For you, maybe," Hope told them. "But for me, if that guy is angry and crazy as I think he is, he won't forget what happened between us, and I'll be definitely seeing him again in the future." Hope laid back down to rest, wondering what the crazed hedgehog was doing at this moment.

--

In a dark forest, a long ways off from the town where Hope was resting at was where Chaos, who was sitting on a boulder, was tending to his wounds.

He used his chaos abilities to slowly heal himself of the wounds that had been inflicted on him by Hope, but still wore a few bandages for the more serious ones. When he was done healing himself, he jumped off the boulder. Chaos stood there for several moments, his head held down and his eyes being shadowed by the dark. Then, without any warning, Chaos turned and punched the boulder. At first, it looked like it didn't do anything, but then it crack all over and fell into many pieces. The expression on Chaos' face was one of pure anger.

"Damn him," Chaos said. "Damn him. Damn him. Damn him! Damn that hedgehog! Damn you, Hope the Hedgehog!" His dark energy was literally overflowing from him, incinerating the area of the forest around him.

"How could I have lost to him?! I am the God of Destruction! I have no equal! I have no weakness! I am superior to all! I was on top of the world with my destruction and power, but then all of a sudden a goody-two shoes hedgehog comes along and knocks me off, making me look like a fool!!" Chaos was angrier than he had ever been before, unparalleled by anything else.

Chaos screamed out to the sky, his power skyrocketing to an astonishing level. When he was finished, his power died down back to safe levels. Chaos had burned out all of his anger. Chaos panted a bit before looking up, a dangerous look in his eyes.

"I will never forgive you, Hope the Hedgehog. I will hunt you down to the ends of the Earth, and kill you with my own hands. This I swear."

**Hope and Chaos fought in one of the fiercest battles ever seen, with Hope emerging victorious, but it's not over for either of them. What will Hope do next? Will Chaos get his revenge on Hope? And what effect will these events have on others? Find out on the next Heaven and Hell.**


	3. Playful Magic

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

* * *

Playful Magic

After acquiring the provisions and supplies he needed, Hope left the town and began his travels once more. As he wandered, all his thoughts were focused on only one person: Chaos. The fight he had with him may have been short, yet it was the toughest battle he had ever gone through in his life. Just who was he? How did he gain the powers he has? And what would he do next? Hope ultimately decided that he would find out when the time was right and continued on his travels.

He eventually came to a place known as Casinopolis, a city where everywhere there was casino, bars, and gambling centers. It was a gambler's paradise. Hope, however, disliked all of this. All he had to do was refill his provisions and supplies, and then he was going to leave this place immediately. This wasn't his kind of place. Everywhere, there were people gambling their money, people drinking their lives away, and people who wasting their time away. He was sort of disgusted by how the place worked.

He exited a store, his supplies replenished, and was about to leave when…

"You little slut!" Hope turned and saw several humans, all of them a little drunk, cornering someone.

The one cornered was a 13-year old female red fox with emerald eyes, hair that reached her shoulders, a blue tip on her tail, and a scar on her left cheek. She wore a light blue tank top, black pants, and orange robe with white marking, silver ring on her right hand, white gloves, and white shoes.

Despite the fact she was cornered and outnumbered, she had an energetic and innocent smile.

"Why are you all so mad?" the fox asked them.

"You know why! You cost us the biggest payroll we could've gotten!"

"Well, forgive me for doing the right thing," the fox replied. "After all, mugging and raping a rich woman is no big deal, right?"

The humans were getting angrier by the minute, especially by the happy smile she had on her face.

"Well, then I guess we'll just take you instead!"

This immediately wiped the smile on her face. All of them gained drunken smirks as one reached his hand at her. But then Hope grabbed it before it got a hold of her, surprising them all.

"Who the hell are you?!" the man asked.

"I think you should leave her alone," Hope said seriously.

"Or what?" the man smirked.

He got his answer when Hope kicked him square in the jaw. The man was sent into the others, and they fell into the ground into heap as Hope pulled out his sword and pointed it at them.

"You'll get my sword if you don't. Now leave." The men, scared of him, ran away in a hurry. Hope sheathed his sword and turned towards the fox.

"Are you okay?" he asked. But the fox didn't reply, and just stared at the hedgehog.

The fox was completely entranced by Hope. She never met anyone like him. His quills stood up like they were a crown, the scars made him look like a warrior, and his eyes had the intensity of a lion. She was completely entranced as she a dovey expression on her face, but this was confusing Hope.

"Hello?" he said. This snapped her out of the trance and she smiled warmly at him.

"I'm okay, thank you very much. By the way, I'm Rena the Fox."

"Hope the Hedgehog," he replied. "Don't forget the name. It'll be famous one day." Rena chuckled at this.

"Well, bye," Hope told her before starting to walk away.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Rena asked in a panic

"Out of this city," he replied. "I hate places like this. Where everything is drowned in booze and gambling. It doesn't sit with me."

"Are you sure you want to go right now?" she asked. Hope nodded. "That's not a good idea right now. Look up." Hope did so and saw huge black clouds in the sky, thunder roaring in them.

"There's going to be a storm soon, and a nasty one at that. If you leave the city right now, you probably wouldn't last long in it." Hope knew she was right, and groaned in response. "You know there's a hotel near here you could stay at for the night. I could show you the way, if you let me stay there for the night too." Hope knew he had no choice, so he agreed to it.

Rena took Hope to the hotel, and took a room for the two of them to stay in, which cost them over half of the money he had. As they were about to go to sleep for the night, Hope had to ask a question.

"Why did you need to sleep in this hotel? Don't you have a home to go to?"

"Nope," Rena replied. "I ran away from my home. The old geezers there were boring. It was no fun. I ran away because I wanted to be free, to have fun."

Hope nodded, realizing she was a free spirit that could be tamed by no one. As the two laid down in their beds, Rena turned towards him.

"Hey Hope, can I come with you in your travels?" This caught Hope off-guard.

"What?!"

"I want to come with you in your travels," Rena told him. "I really do. I think it would be fun. It would be adventurous and exciting. And I like that. So would you please let me come with you?"

Hope remembered his parent's deaths, and how he was helpless to save them. He may have been older, but he still felt he couldn't protect anyone for a long period of time.

"No," Hope replied.

"Why not?" Rena asked.

"Because I said so," he simply said. "Now go to sleep."

Rena was about to persist, when she realized Hope had already gone to sleep. Rena wasn't going to give up though, and resolved to make sure she went with him, and soon went to sleep as well.

The next morning, the two exited the hotel and Hope turned to Rena.

"This is where we part ways, Rena," Hope said. "Goodbye." Hope turned around and began walking away. But after taking some tens of steps, he stopped and turned around. He saw Rena, standing a few feet from him.

"What are you doing?" Hope asked.

"Following you," Rena replied with a smile.

"Why?" Hope asked.

"Because I want to come with you, and because you refuse to let me, I'll keep following you until you let me." Hope had to give the fox points for persistence, but knew he had to ditch her.

He turned back around and began walking again, Rena following him. After a while, Hope picked up the pace, Rena doing so as well. Soon, Hope began to run at full speed, Rena following suit. The hedgehog tried everything: taking sudden turns, jumping onto roofs, creating smoke for cover, and trying to outrun her. But no matter what he did, he could not lose Rena.

"Damn, she's better than I thought," Hope said to himself.

Hope then came up with an idea to lose her. He conjured a sphere of light and threw it at her. Once close enough, it exploded in a flash of light in front of her, blinding her. Hope took this opportunity and ran as far as he could as fast as possible. When he saw that he lost her, he stopped and took a breather.

"Whew, finally lost her," he said.

"Wow, so you can use magic too," Rena said as she appeared in front of him upside down. This scared Hope as he fell to the ground in shock, and Rena chuckled at the sight.

"How the hell did you catch up to me?!" Hope questioned. "And what do you mean I can use magic too?!" Hope then noticed that Rena was floating in the air upside down. "What the…"

Hope then ducked his head to avoid a knife that was thrown at him. The two looked to see the same men from last night along with what seemed to be like tens of their friends. Rena landed on the ground while Hope gripped his sword.

"Looks like the guys we met last night were part of a gang," Hope stated.

"Yeah, and no one messes with members of our gang and gets away with it," one of them said. "You're going to pay the ultimate price for what you've done."

Hope was about to fight, when Rena stood in his way. "Let me handle them, Hope," Rena told him.

"What?!" Hope exclaimed.

"Trust me," Rena said as she flashed him a smile. Hope, after seeing that smile, couldn't help himself as he let go of his sword and lowered his guard.

"You know you guys really put a damper on fun, you know?" Rena stated as she pulled out a green staff with white, yellow, red, blue, and brown markings on it and a light blue orb on the top.

"And what are you going to do about?" the leader asked smugly.

"This."

Rena fired from her staff, shockingly, a lightning bolt, which struck one, and he fell unconscious. This shocked everyone, including Hope.

"I'm a sorceress, and you guys are going to go down hard."

"Get her!" the leader ordered. They all charged at her, yet she wasn't worried as she had a big smile on her face.

They jumped at her, but in an amazing display of athleticism, she jumped over on them, and landed on one's head.

"You guys are so funny," Rena laughed.

She then shot a fireball at some, which made a direct hit. The guy who she was standing on tried to grab her feet, but she jumped into the air, and then shot streams of water from her staff, hitting many in the chest.

"What's wrong? Scared of water," Rena laughed as she landed on the ground.

But while she was making jokes, one of them swung a knife at her, which cut her arm. Rena held it in pain, and more tried to jump on her. Reacting quickly, she stuck her staff in the ground, and several columns of earth shot up, hitting each one hard.

One was able to grab her from behind, and she struggled against his grip. She used her magic to create heat around her body, which burned the man's arm, and then she struck her staff across his face, hard enough to knock him out. More of them surrounded her, thinking they had her trapped.

"My it's getting windy," Rena said.

She began twirling her staff above her head, and suddenly the winds around them began to converge with it, and soon all the men were caught in them, and began sucked into the sky by the powerful winds. They all were struggling to get down, and Rena stopped, and the winds died, and they all fell to the ground in a thud.

"Let's get out of here!" one of them said. "This freak is too powerful for us!" The last comment stung Rena as the gang ran away, leaving Hope and Rena alone. Hope ran up to Rena, amazed and impressed by what the fox did.

"That was amazing!" Hope said. Rena blushed at the comment. But then Hope noticed the cut on her arm. "You're hurt."

"Don't worry," Rena replied. "It's just a cut. All it needs is some bandages and it'll be okay." Hope noticed the adventurous and brave spirit in her eyes, and made a decision.

"All right," Hope said.

"Huh?" Rena replied.

"You can join me in my travels."

"Really?!" Rena shouted excitedly.

"Yeah, you can," Hope said, covering his ears in slight pain from the shout. "After seeing how well you could handle yourself in battle, and knowing you won't leave me alone unless I let you come with me, it would be best if I could have you help me."

"Oh thank you, Hope!" Rena said as she hugged him. Hope smiled for the first time in a long time. He suddenly felt happier than he ever had before.

"_Maybe it isn't so bad to have friends after all,_" he thought.

**Hope now has a new friend and ally along with him in his travels, Rena the Fox. What will happen now that this sorceress joined him? What is next for the two? And what about Chaos? Find out next time on the next Heaven and Hell.**


	4. Smashing Laziness Part 1

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

* * *

Smashing Laziness Part 1

Hope and his new ally, Rena, were travelling like they always did. They soon came to a beautiful white city surrounded by water and the sun shone brightly on it.

"Hmm, this is Soleanna, the City of Water." Hope said, reading the map he had.

"Oh Soleanna, such a beautiful, romantic place, don't you think so Hope?" Rena said dreamily.

"Yeah," Hope said clueless. "Anyway, this place should have lots of supplies for us to buy. And who knows. We might even find something to do." Hope looked up to find Rena gone. "Huh? Rena?"

"Hope! Look!" Hope looked to find Rena looking at something at the wall. Hope walked up to it, and saw a poster, advertising what seemed to be a fighting tournament, where the winner would face the champion.

"Oh can we enter Hope?!" Rena asked hopefully. Hope shook his head. "Why?!"

"Because I want to fight worthy opponents, and none of the guys here would be able to match me!" Hope explained with a proud smirk.

"Man, you sure are arrogant," Rena chuckled.

"Hey, I'm the son of two great heroes. What do you expect?" Hope told her.

"Well can we watch a match? The poster says that there's going to be an exhibition match featuring the champion."

"Sure why not." Hope shrugged. "Besides I want to have a look at this champion of theirs."

"Good let's go!" Rena grabbed Hope's arm and dragged him away.

"Rena!" Hope shouted. "The ring's that way!"

After arriving at the ring, Rena and Hope took some seats around the ring, which was difficult since Rena hated standing still.

"Rena, stop squirming around," Hope told her.

"I can't help it. I like to move around," Rena replied.

"Listen, this match won't be long. After this you can move around all you want." Rena understood, but still didn't like standing still.

"Ladies and gentlemen! It is time for the exhibition match!" The announcer announced. The crowd cheered at this. "Introducing to the match, Bruno the Coyote!" A massive, muscle-bound coyote came into the ring. He flexed his muscles towards the crowd, and the girls fainted at this sight of them.

"All brawn, no brains," Hope commented, making Rena chuckle.

"And his opponent, the champion, Smash the Wolf!" Who came into the ring surprised the two.

He was a 14-year old brown wolf with grey chest fur, blue eyes, and a scar over the left side of his mouth. He wore grey pants, a black vest, yellow shoulder pads, a red sash around the waist, and red boots. What surprised them was his expression: it was one of laziness and dislike of being here.

"Do I really have to be in this match?" Smash asked the announcer.

"This is my opponent?! What a joke!" Bruno laughed. Smash just sighed, seeing as he had no choice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the exhibition match…begin!" And just as quick as it began, it ended.

Faster than anyone could follow, Smash had delivered a punch to Bruno's gut. The coyote's eyes were wide and his mouth was wide open as he fell back to the ground, unconscious.

"The winner is the champion, Smash the Wolf!" Smash simply left, not even responding to the cheers of the crowd.

Hope and Rena looked on in shock at what they saw. Hope was able to follow the movements of Smash, and saw he delivered a series of strikes all over his opponents with unbelievable speed. Hope then made a decision.

"Rena." The sorceress turned her towards him. "We're going to enter the tournament."

--

One week later, the tournament was about to begin. Rena and Hope had entered the tournament and were going to try and fight their way to Smash. The wolf in question was going to watch the tournament from a balcony along with Princess Elise. But the wolf would rather watch the clouds. They were just fascinating to him.

"Oh isn't this exciting?" Elise asked Smash.

"I guess." Smash said distantly, not caring at all.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the tournament to decide who will face off against the champion, Smash the Wolf, will now begin!" the announcer told everyone. "Now for our first match! Introducing, coming off his loss to Smash, Bruno the Coyote!" Bruno came into the ring, still seething over his loss to Smash. He vowed to make him pay, and hurt whoever his opponent was.

"And introducing his opponent, Hope the Hedgehog!" Hope came into the ring with a serious look on his face, and stared at him.

"Hmph, this is going to be a piece of cake." Hope stated, smirking.

"Why you! I'm going to beat you into a pulp, then take out that wolf!" Bruno threw a powerful punch at the hedgehog, but Hope easily evaded.

"I don't even need my sword for a dumb brute like you," Hope told him. Bruno got even angrier and blindly threw punches at Hope.

The hedgehog easily dodged the fists for he was faster than coyote, but Hope was soon backed to the end of the ring.

"Game over, rodent." Bruno threw a final punch at Hope.

"I'm a hedgehog," Hope corrected, the smirk still present. "And you're stupid."

Hope easily swerved around the punch and spun around behind Bruno. He kicked him in the back, and it caused Bruno to lose his balance and fall out of the ring.

"Winner by Ring Out: Hope the Hedgehog!" Hope left the ring, people cheering for his victory. Smash became interested in the hedgehog. He wasn't like the others he faced.

"_Maybe he's the one…_" he thought.

Several matches later, the final match of the round had come.

"For the final match of the round, let us introduce Resh the Hedgehog, the famous boxer!" A red hedgehog wearing boxing gloves came into ring, cocky and full of himself.

"And his opponent, let's meet Rena the Fox!" Rena came in as her usually cheery self, waving to the crowd happily. Smash, for the first time in a while, didn't feel like being lazy.

His eyes were focused solely on Rena. He never saw someone as beautiful as her before. He held his chest as his heart start to beat rapidly, and heat rushed to his face. Smash looked away to hide this, but Elise had notice this.

"Let the match…begin!"

"Hmph, I'm going to take you out like you're nothing, because I'm Resh the Hedgehog, and I'm the best!" While the boxer was gloating, Rena pointed her staff at him, and out of it shot a stream of water that hit Resh in the chest and sent him into the wall out of the ring. Everyone looked on in shock at Rena, who was still smiling.

"What? Never said I couldn't use magic." Rena said innocently.

"Winner by Ring Out: Rena the Fox." Rena happily walked away from the ring, Smash following her with his gaze. He sighed.

"Man things are getting interesting." he commented.

Rena and Hope fought their way through the tournament. Although they had some difficulties, they were beat their opponents without much work. Eventually came down to just them.

"It is now time for the finals, which will decide who will face Smash for the title! Introducing first, Rena the Fox!" Rena came in very energetic and excited.

"And her opponent, Hope the Hedgehog!" Hope came into the ring with his usual serious expression. The two friends stared at each for a while before speaking.

"Don't pull any punches." Rena said, readying her staff.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Hope said, pulling out his sword.

"Let the finals…begin!"

Hope charged at Rena and swung his sword at her. Rena swerved around it to avoid it, and jumped away. Hope continued to swipe at her, but Rena used her speed and athletic and flexible body to maneuver around the sword. She jumped away, knowing she was at a disadvantage up close. She then cast fire spells by sending fireballs at him. Hope ran around the rings, the fireballs trying to hit him. Hope then skidded a bit before he started to charge at Rena, slashing the fireballs in half with his sword. But then Rena used her earth magic, to raise a column of earth in Hope's path, and before he could stop, he crashed straight into it.

"Ow that hurt." Hope stated as he pried himself off of it. Hope's instincts had him move away as a lightning bolt struck through the column, destroying it.

"I'm having fun, Hope." Rena said cheerfully.

"I'm glad you are Rena, but I have to win." Hope said, standing up.

"Let's see how you handle this then." Rena then cast a torrent of fire at Hope, but the swordsman decided it was time it use his own magic.

He created a shield of light in front of him, which protected him from the flames. After that, Hope ignited his sword, gathering light into the tip in a huge spherical form, and fired it at Rena. The fox used her powers to send the sphere away, although with difficulty. Hope used the distraction to kick Rena in the face, nearly sending her out of the arena. Hope then summoned a volley of light arrows at her, but Rena easily took care of them with lightning bolts.

Hope knew that he would lose to her in magic, so he had to use sword skills to beat her. Hope charged at her and jumped into the air, bringing his blade down on her. Rena rolled out the way as the blade struck the ground, and then, taking a risk, swung her staff at him. It didn't pay off as Hope quickly used his sword to block it and then gave her roundhouse kick. Rena staggered a bit, and Hope drew back his fist for a punch. But Rena quickly recovered and then summoned gales of winds that caught Hope and spun him into the air. The gales struck Hope on all sides, and then he was brought down hard.

"Sorry about that Hope." Rena apologized.

"Don't worry about it." Hope grunted as he stood up. "You're really good, Rena." Rena blushed at the comment. "But like I said, I'm going to win."

Hope stayed as he was for a few moments, but then disappeared into air, revealing to be an afterimage, surprising Rena. She felt a kick to her back, and she fell to the ground. Rena turned around only to be met with the glowing sword of Hope.

"Sorry about this." Hope fired a beam of light at Rena and she was hit directly in the chest. The beam shot her out of the ring and onto the ground, ending it.

"Winner by Ring Out: Hope the Hedgehog! He will face Smash for the championship!" The crowd cheered wildly, clearly astonished by the amazing match they just witnessed. Rena groaned as she sat up, and saw Hope extending a hand to her with a warm smile. She took it with a smile and stood face-to-face with him.

"You were amazing, Rena." Hope told her.

"Thank you." Rena replied. "But you were obviously better. Now you better take home the title."

"I'll be sure to Rena," Hope promised. Smash, who for the first time focused his attention, watched the whole thing.

"Man when do the surprises ever stop." he sighed.

**Hope now has to face Smash, in what is sure to be an amazing bout. But why is someone like Smash the champion? Does he even want to be champion? And who will win in the upcoming match? Find out in the next chapter of Heaven and Hell.**


	5. Smashing Laziness Part 2

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Smashing Laziness Part 2

"Ladies and gentleman, it is time for the championship match!" the announcer announced, which earned a huge cheer from the crowd.

"The winner of the tournament shall face the champion for the title! Now for the challenger, the winner of the tournament, Hope the Hedgehog!" Hope came into the ring with a good cheer, Rena whistling for him, but he only gave them a wave, for his mind was focused on one person.

"And let use introduce our champion, the representative of the Howling Clan, Smash the Wolf!" Smash lazily entered the ring as the crowd cheered loudly for him, although he didn't care. The two met in the middle ring.

"Yo." Smash said lazily. "Nice to meet you." Hope stated.

"You know you're the reason I entered this whole thing. You seem like a worthy opponent." The hedgehog smirked. "But you'll still lose to me."

"Whatever." the wolf shrugged nonchalantly, heading back to his position. Hope was taken a little off-guard by the wolf's laid-back nature, but regained his composure and walked to his position.

"And now the moment you've all been waiting for. Let the championship match begin!"

And just as he said that, Smash was already in front of Hope, his fist about to make contact with Hope's face. Out of pure instinct, Hope moved out of the way in time to dodge it. Smash spun around to deliver a roundhouse kick, but the hedgehog employed an elbow block to it. But then Smash used his other leg to connect a devastating kick to Hope's face. The white hedgehog staggered, and Smash took the opportunity to throw a punch into Hope's face. He fell to the ground, groaning in pain. He looked up to find Smash looking at him with a lazy expression. He knew he couldn't waste time, so he kicked back up, ready to continue.

"Looks like I can't hold back. Get ready." Hope told him.

Smash didn't seem to worry at all as Hope charged at him, unsheathing his sword. He swung his sword at him, but the wolf easily moved out of the way and threw a punch at him. But it shockingly went through him as "Hope" dissolved away, revealed to be an afterimage. This caught Smash off-guard and received a kick to the head from behind. Smash rolled across the ring before able to stop himself. He saw the real Hope, gripping his sword in one hand and a sphere of light in the other.

"You won't be able to beat me so easily." Hope smirked.

"Man, what a drag." Smash groaned. "I'm going to have to try, and that sucks."

Hope threw the sphere of light at the wolf, but Smash ducked it and dashed at Hope. Hope employed a stab, but the wolf jumped over it and landed on the sword with perfect balance.

"What the…?!" Hope exclaimed.

Smash quickly attempted a kick, and out of instinct, Hope raised his arm and blocked it. Hope grabbed it, and threw him off the sword. Smash easily landed on his own two feet, and turned to face Hope.

"You know you're not half bad." Smash commented.

"Thanks. You're pretty good too." Hope replied.

The hedgehog charged at the brown wolf, swinging his sword down on him. Smash backed away to dodge it and then threw a punch, but Hope conjured up a light shield that blocked the attack, repelling Smash away. Taking advantage, Hope sent a wave of light at Smash using his sword. But the wolf jumped over it and then dived towards Hope, feet first. Hope moved out of the way as Smash's feet collided with the ground. But then Smash came in front of the hedgehog, and before he could react, the wolf unleashed a flurry of punches on Hope, each one making its mark, and ending it with a kick to the gut that nearly sent Hope out of the ring. The hedgehog laid on the ground in pain, but wasn't going to give up that easily as he stood up.

"No one hasn't given me this much trouble since my own family." Smash told him.

"Well glad to know I'm special." Hope replied.

Hope formed a light arrow in his hand behind his back where Smash couldn't see. Hope charged at Smash, who did the same. When they were close enough, Hope revealed his light arrow and smashed it into the wolf's stomach. Smash coughed up some blood as he held his stomach, and Hope took to connect his foot with the fighter's chin. Smash was sent up into the air, and Hope swiped his sword, sending a stroke of light at Smash, which connected. Smash fell to the ground, near the boundaries of the ring.

"Okay, that didn't go well." Smash groaned. He saw Hope preparing himself, and he stood up and got into a fighting stance.

The two stared down each other for a while, causing tension among the crowd. Everything was silent as neither moved. Then, Rena made one step closer to the ring, and that was the trigger. The two dashed towards at speeds no one could follow. Their punches and strikes were but mere blurs to everyone else. Everyone was wondering what was going to happen, when Hope and Smash appeared fully in the middle of the ring… with their fists hitting each others face. The two were sent flying in opposite, and the unbelievably went outside the ring and landed on the ground at the same time. Everyone in attendance was in shock at what had occurred.

"Both competitors have fallen out the same time! Therefore the title match is a draw! Smash the Wolf is still the champion!" The crowd was still in shock but they cheered for the amazing match they witnessed. Hope sat up to find Smash already walking away.

"Smash, wait!" Hope shouted to him as he ran towards. Smash turned around to face Hope, wondering what he wanted. "Good match." Hope extended his hand toward Smash, who just stared at it.

"Whatever." Smash replied as he shook it.

"Hope!" Rena came into the picture and began hugging Hope. "You put up a great match, but it's a shame you lost, but at least you didn't lose either!" The fox didn't notice that she was breaking Hope's bones though.

"Rena… you're crushing… me." Hope breathed out. Rena released Hope from her grip and smiled apologetically, and then she turned towards Smash.

"I was really impressed by your skill, Smash. You did really well, and you seem cool." Rena said with a cheerful smile. She then had a thought and got really excited.

"Hey, how about you spend the rest of the day?!" This caught Smash completely by surprise.

"Y-you want me to spend the day with you?!" Smash asked, blushing a little.

"Yeah, it would be fun. Please?!" Rena employed the infamous puppy-dog eyes, and not even the lazy Smash could resist.

"All right." Smash sighed.

"Great! Is that okay with you, Hope?"

"Why not?" Hope shrugged. "Besides I don't want to face those puppy dog eyes."

"Oh thank you!" Rena hugged him, once again crushing him within his grip.

"Rena…!" Hope got out.

"Sorry." Rena told him, letting him go. "Now let's get going!" The energetic fox grabbed the two by their arms and ran off with them.

At first, Smash thought it was all going to be a drag, but it actually turned out to be quite nice. First off, they went to a restaurant and ordered some pizza, talking about some things. Smash told them about the Howling Clan, a clan that has been around for centuries, and how their skill in hand-to-hand combat was legendary. He told them that he was the heir to the great legacy, but he could really care less. All he wanted to was lie down all day and look at the skies. After eating, Smash surprisingly offered a tour of Soleanna, which Rena and Hope accepted. They were treated to some of the beautiful sights of Soleanna, including its trademark water, which Smash strangely stayed away from. And after that, the three laid down on the field outside the city, the three lying on the ground under a tree, looking at the sky.

"You're right, Smash. Looking at the sky is really comfortable." Hope told him.

"Yeah, I never felt so relaxed and calm in my life." Rena added.

"Well, that's what it can do to you. It's one of the few things I like to do because of it." Smash paused for a while. "You know, I've had a better time with you guys than I ever had my whole life. It's weird."

"Well that's good to hear. You're really cool Smash. You can fight, and are obviously the laziest person I know, but that makes you different." Rena then sat up at the thought of an idea. "I know! How about you come with me and Smash?" This caught both completely off-guard as they sat up with shocked expressions.

"W-what?!" Smash muttered.

"Rena!!" Hope exclaimed.

"Please, Hope. He could be really helpful."

"I wanted to be alone in the first place." Hope reminded her. "You were an exception but I don't know about Smash."

"Come on Hope." Rena whined.

"I appreciate the offer. But I can't accept it." Smash replied, standing up. "My clan would have a cow if I left them, considering I'm their heir. I don't want it, but I can't just up and leave them."

"We understand. Don't we, Rena?" Hope said.

"Yeah, we understand." Rena sighed; obviously disappointed she couldn't have another friend with them.

"Well it was nice to meet you both." Smash stood up. "I have to get back home. My clan doesn't have much patience. Bye." Smash then left the two and walked back home.

As he walked across the streets of Soleanna, he was thinking about Hope and Rena. He never met anyone like those two.

"You like those two." a voice said. "They're not like others you met."

"How long have you been watching us?" Smash asked calmly, coming to a stop.

"Since the tournament ended. I was intrigued by how you interacted with them. You never acted like that with anyone else."

"Well those two are different from others. You should know that… Dad."

The owner of the voice came out of the shadows, revealing himself. He was a grey wolf with emerald eyes and two bangs over the right eye. He wore a blue sleeveless robe with golden lining, and black pants and red boots. On his right arm was a trio of scars, like a claw made them. On the back of the robe was a golden moon, the symbol of the Howling Clan. This was Striker the Wolf, Smash's father.

"And besides, you shouldn't butt in my business." Smash told him.

"True, but I thought you had finally made some friends, but was surprised when you turned down their offer to join them on their travels."

"I'm lazy, but not heartless. I can't just leave my own family, even if they try to give me something I don't want." Smash explained.

"You're a good kid, Smash." Strike placed a hand on Smash's shoulder, surprising him. "You care about your clan, but you have so much potential. I wanted you to leave for a long time, but couldn't find a reason for you to. Why? Because you are a free spirit who goes to the beat of his own drum, and that should be respected. But now you found two people who you care about. You have a bond with them, and you shouldn't give it up for us. The men in the clan are stubborn, thinking keeping you here is best. But my own adventures have taught me the value of friendship and excitement, and you have the chance to be free Smash. I want what's best for you, and I know, through my own experiences, that this is best for you. Be who you were meant to be."

"…………." Smash remained silent.

--

The next day, Hope and Rena walked to the exit of Soleanna, about to leave when they found Smash lying casually on a wall. This caught them both by surprise.

"I thought it over a bit, and decided that it wouldn't be all that bad to go with you guys."

"What about your clan?!" Hope asked.

"My dad can handle them." Smash explained. "He knows how to keep those stubborn fools in place."

"Oh, this is awesome!" Rena literally jumped for joy. "We have a new friend Hope. This is great." At first, it was unknown what Hope was thinking of this, but slowly he grew a smirk.

"You know, I had a feeling you were going to come with us. I can't get rid of you, can I?"

"Nope, I'm sticking with you for a long time." Hope began to chuckle.

"Man, why am I getting stuck babysitting you two?" Hope eye's glinted with pride and adventure. "Well, if that's the case, then let's get going." The group of three headed out of Soleanna, heading for whatever adventures awaited for them.

Up on the roofs in Soleanna, Striker watched the trio leave the city of water, but his focus was more on Hope than the others.

"You're so much like your parents, Hope."

**A new friend has entered the group, and his name is Smash. What will happen for the three? How does Striker know about Hope's parents? And just what happened to Chaos? Find out in the next chapter of Heaven and Hell.**


	6. Singing Chaos

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Singing Chaos

"_Daddy!" the young hedgehog exclaimed as he ran up to his father. Nosan looked toward his son, and smiled at him as he grabbed him and held him up in the air. _

"_My you sure are anxious today, aren't you?" Nosan chuckled. _

"_Daddy, can I see your sword again?" Hope asked. _

"_Again?" Nosan replied. Hope gave him a pout, and Nosan couldn't resist. "All right, you can see it again." Nosan pulls his sword out of his sheath, and Hope looks at in awe. "As I told you a million times before, this is my sword, Crystal Light." Nosan explained. "I made it years ago with the finest minerals in the world. My personal sword." Nosan smiled. "It's gotten me out of quite a few jams."_

"_Showing him your sword again?" Saria asked as she came into the room. _

"_Hey, he wanted to see it, and I just can't resist." Nosan told her. _

"_You keep doing that, and he might end up like you." Saria chuckled. _

"_I want to!" Hope replied happily. "I want to be just like you when I'm older. I'm going to be a hero!" _

"_He's so much like you, Nosan." Saria sighed. _

"_I know!" Nosan said proudly. "Hope, you keep at it, and you'll be a great hero! I know it!" _

_The young hedgehog looked happily at his father, ecstatic to know they were behind his dream. But then he saw a shadowed figure come up behind his father, and saw him hold up his hand, which had a trio of claws attached to it, ready to come down on Nosan. _

"_DADDY!" Hope shouted. _

_Nosan noticed the person's presence and turned around, only for the person to bring his claws down on him._

_

* * *

_

Hope woke up with a jolt, breathing heavily as sweat rolled down his body. He looked around the campsite to find Rena and Smash still sleeping. Hope put his hands over his face in exhaustion. Hope was once again having doubts.

"Another dream about that day." Hope murmured. "Can I really protect them?"

Hope was reminded of his past, and how he failed to protect his parents. His new allies were skilled, but he knew that there would always be someone better, and he was afraid that he couldn't protect them when the time came.

"Man, will I ever be able to know if I can protect anyone?" Hope asked himself. Throughout the rest of the night, Hope stayed awake, too troubled by his thoughts to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, we find the three once again on their travels.

"Man, how much longer are we going to walk?" Smash complained. "My feet are killing me."

"Stop being lazy, Smash." Hope replied. "We haven't been walking that long."

"This is such a drag." Smash sighed.

"You are such a lazybones." Rena commented. "Don't worry. We won't have to walk much longer."

And as if on cue, a city came up in their sight. "Talk about luck." Smash stated. They entered the city, and they were completely in awe.

"Wow, I've never seen anything like this." Rena said, amazed by the entire city.

"Even Soleanna isn't anything like this." Smash added.

"I think I've heard of this city before." Hope said. "I think it's called Central City."

"I've heard of this place from my clan. It's the capital of the world." Smash told them.

"Central City?! Wow, no wonder it's so big!" Rena exclaimed, still awed by the city.

"Well, I can tell our stay here is going to be interesting." Hope stated. "So what do you want to do guys?"

It was obvious none of them had experience in dealing with this type of environment, where everything was big and people were everywhere. Hope was a loner, Smash was lazy, and Rena… she was just too energetic.

The three looked around, hoping to find something to do. Rena then noticed a group of people gathering around a spot on a wall.

"Guys, check that out!" Rena told them. The three went up to the group of people, trying to push through to see what the big deal was, but were unsuccessful.

They did hear someone say, "The Songoose is going to perform here in Central City tonight!! This is awesome!!"

"The Songoose?" Hope questioned.

"I've heard of her. She's the most famous singer in the world!" Rena said excitedly. "And she's going to sing here tonight!!" Rena looked at the two, who were about to protest, since Smash disliked music, and Hope didn't find the point in it, until Rena gave them the puppy dog eyes, and they couldn't resist the eyes.

"Fine." Hope sighed. Rena squealed happily.

"You guys are going to love her singing!" she told them. "Come on let's get some tickets" Rena grabbed them and took off, the two in tow.

"This is starting to become a routine." Hope commented.

After getting some tickets to the big event, the trio of heroes entered the building where the concert was taking which was completely filled with hundreds of people.

"Wow, look at the amount of people here." Hope said awed. "I never knew this Songoose was so famous!"

"Then you don't get much information." Rena told them. "The Songoose is immensely popular! I've listened to a few of her songs, and she is really good!"

"Why does there have to be so many people?" Smash complained.

"Man up, Smash." Rena told him. "You'll actually like the Songoose. I'm sure of it!" Smash just groaned at this. "Oh, look, I think she's about to perform!" The band along with a shadowed figure in front of them had appeared onstage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please allow us to the most famous singer in the world, the Songoose, Mina Mongoose!" The spotlights came on, each one on the star herself.

She was a yellow mongoose with long flowing purple hair and emerald eyes. She wore a black tank top, brown shorts, tan gloves and boots, and a black headband. She began to sing, her beautiful voice sounding through the speakers. The crowd cheered at her performance as she continued to sing, her body dancing with the tune. Rena cheered along with the crowd, Smash just looked on in shock, but Hope… his eyes were on the mongoose only.

He was completely entranced by her figure, dancing to the beat of her song, her flowing hair shining beautifully under the spotlight, her eyes sparkling like a star, her body moving gracefully; he just couldn't take his eyes off of her. His heart began to beat rapidly as he began to heat up, his face beginning to flush. He gripped his chest, not knowing what was happening to him.

"_What is this feeling I'm experiencing?_" Hope thought.

Mina's song ended, and everyone cheered for the songstress. Rena whistled for Mina, Smash clapped, clearly impressed, and Hope… well he just stood there gaping like an idiot.

"Thank you, everyone! This has been a great pleasure for me." Mina told the audience.

Then the crowd began to chant, "Encore!" over and over again.

"You guys want another performance?" she asked the crowd, who replied with a loud "Yes!" "All right then!" She prepared to give out another performance, but just then, explosions occurred around the stage, and Mina felt someone grab her from behind and saw a blade held to her neck. Mina was instantly shocked, and turned her head around to see the face of Chaos the Hedgehog.

"Open your mouth and I swear I'll cut your throat!" Chaos growled.

"Chaos!" Hope exclaimed.

"You know him?" Rena asked.

"Yeah, I fought him once before, and he took me to my absolute limit. From what I know, he's a bloodthirsty killer who wants nothing more than destruction." Hope explained as people began to run away.

"Man, and just when I was starting to enjoy this." Smash groaned.

"Come on, we've got to save her!" Hope told his friends. The two nodded, and they headed towards the stage.

"What do you want?" Mina asked the dark hedgehog.

"Simple. I have reason to believe that a certain hedgehog that I fought before is here in Central City. I think that holding you hostage will bring him to me, so I can kill him." Chaos explained.

"Well you don't have to wait, Chaos!" a voice said. The two then saw Hope in front of them, his sword in his hand.

"Hope." Chaos growled. He pointed his second blade at the hedgehog. "I'm going to make you pay for what you did to me."

"Then bring it on!" Hope challenged.

But no one expected what happened next. In one swift motion, Mina brought up her leg and then swung it in a backwards motion, connecting with Chaos' groin. Not even Chaos could withstand the pain, and he let go of Mina as he sank down onto his knees in pain, and the mongoose jumped away, clearly annoyed.

"I'm not some defenseless girl!" the mongoose exclaimed.

The whole event took Hope by surprise, and somewhat made his heart beat faster, but he soon shook it off, and realized the opportunity.

"Guys, now!" he shouted.

Rena jumped onto the stage and fired earth boulders from her staff, which struck the dark hedgehog in the face. Smash, using his great speed, slammed a volley of fists into the hedgehog's body, ending it with a kick that sent him into the drums of Mina's band, who had left when this started.

"All right, we won!" Rena cheered, jumping to conclusions.

"He wasn't tough." Smash commented.

"You're all jumping to conclusions." Hope told them.

Just then, Chaos jumped high into the air, chaos energy in his hand, and then plummeted down to the stage. Seeing this, Hope grabbed Mina, and the three jumped off the stage as Chaos slammed his fist onto the stage, completely destroying it.

Mina was in shock at what Chaos did as Hope landed on the ground and set her down.

"You all right?" he asked her. Mina nodded, and Hope sighed with relief.

"I see you've gained some allies since we last met, Hope." Chaos growled as he came out the remains of the stage.

"They just stuck onto me like glue and wouldn't let go." Hope chuckled as he turned around to face. "But they're pretty good, if you haven't noticed."

"Hmph. It doesn't matter how many weaklings you gain. I'll still kill you." Chaos told him as he summoned his dual blades, called Destructix Blades, in his hands.

"Who are you calling weaklings?!" Rena shouted, offended.

"We're not going down that easily, Chaos!" Hope proclaimed as he unsheathed his sword. "Get ready!!"

"I'll destroy every single one of you!!" Chaos proclaimed as he dashed towards his opponents.

The dark hedgehog went straight for Hope, eager to kill him. Chaos swung a blade at Hope, but the swordsman easily blocked it with his. Chaos swung his leg upward, connecting with Hope's chin. The hedgehog staggered, allowing Chaos to land a solid punch to his stomach. Hope was sent flying backwards, smashing into the wall. Chaos then formed a hundred chaos spears around himself.

"CHAOS BOMBARDMENT!"

All the chaos spears shot off towards Hope, who thought he was going to take the full blast. But just then Rena jumped in the way, and conjured up a magic shield. The shield took the attack, protecting Hope and Rena.

"Thanks." Hope told her.

"No problem." Rena smiled cheerfully.

"So you want to get in my way?" Chaos said. "Then you'll die with that rat!!" Chaos charged at Rena, malicious intent in his eyes, but Rena still had that cheerful smile.

Chaos swung a blade at her, but Rena moved out of the way. Chaos swung again, but Rena ducked it. Chaos continued to swing his blades at the fox, but Rena was just too quick as she dodged every single strike. Chaos was getting more frustrated by the second as he swung once again at her. Rena jumped into the air, but then Chaos grabbed her by the tail as she was in the air.

"Uh oh." she muttered.

With all of his strength , he slammed the energetic fox down to the ground by her tail, cracking the ground and leaving her stuck to it.

"Die you insolent fox!" Chaos formed a Chaos Spear in hand, ready to end her life, when Smash came to the rescue, kicking Chaos in the face, sending him into the wall.

"You okay Rena?" Smash asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Rena groaned as she sat up. "Thanks Smash."

"Why do you all keep getting in my way?!" Chaos roared as he pried himself off of the wall.

"Because we're Hope's friends." Smash said simply. "And we're not going to let you hurt him."

Chaos' anger was growing out of control as a menacing purple aura surrounded him. The four of them were confused by this, but Hope noticed the growing energy that he was building up.

"Guys! Take cover!" Hope warned them. But it was too late.

"CHAOS BLAST!!!"

A huge explosion of purple energy engulfed the building and more. When it died down, the building was completely destroyed, nothing more than rubble. Chaos stood, a malicious smirk on his face.

"My revenge is complete!" Chaos laughed insanely. But then, several pieces of rubble began to move, catching Chaos by surpise.

The rubble was lifted, revealing Smash and Rena, covered in cuts and wounds and such. And then more rubble moved over, showing Hope who had protected Mina during the blast, both of them covered with wounds as well. Chaos' joy then turned to pure rage at the sight of them.

"Why don't you all die?!" Chaos roared as he charged at them.

Rena fired off several lightning bolts at Chaos, who surprisingly stopped at the sight of them. For a moment, there was fear in his eyes before he was struck by the bolts, which paralyzed him. Smash dashed at Chaos at breakneck speed and delivered a punch directly to his face, and then kicked him straight into the air. As he flew up in the air, Hope jumped in the air and summoned several light arrows, showering them at Chaos. Each one got a direct hit on the God of Destruction, and the swordsman dived down towards Chaos, his feet striking his gut, sending him plummeting to the ground with a crash. Hope landed on the ground, panting a bit.

"Is he finished?" Rena asked.

He obviously wasn't as Chaos dashed out of the hole and slammed a Chaos Lance into Hope's gut. The swordsman spat out blood as he was slammed towards the ground from the attack. Smash came in and tried to kick Chaos, but the hedgehog blocked it and then fired a blast of chaos energy at the wolf, sending him away. Rena tried to cast some spells, but Chaos held his hand out towards the fox.

"CHAOS BARRAGE!" Chaos fired a torrent of chaos spears from his hand that rained down on the fox, and when it was done, the fox was lying down on the ground, unconscious.

The demonic hedgehog then looked down at Hope as he slammed his foot on his chest so he wouldn't escape, an angry expression on his face.

"Time to die, Hope." Chaos said, raising his blade.

Mina looked on, shocked at what had happened. She knew couldn't let Hope die so she called upon her powers. She closed her eyes as she focused and held out her hand, green chaos energy surrounding it. Just then, vines sprouted around the dark hedgehog and bounded him.

"What the hell?!" Chaos shouted, unable to move.

Hope was in shock, but wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste as he grabbed his sword and stabbed it through Chaos' shoulder. Chaos screamed in pain as Hope formed a sphere in his hand and slammed into Chaos, which sent him backwards and into the rubble. Hope then gathered light into his sword and fired a blast of it at Chaos. The dark hedgehog was trying to stand up when he saw the blast coming towards him. Swearing his return and vengeance, he teleported away in a flash of purple light just before the blast struck. And with that done, Hope fell into unconsciousness, along with his companions.

* * *

Hope's mind soon came to consciousness as he slowly woke up, opening his weary eyes. He sat up, but felt pain all around his body. He discovered his body covered in bandages. He looked around, learning that they were outside the city. It was nighttime, there was a campfire, and Rena and Smash were sleeping as well with bandages around them. Hope was confused to how they got here.

"So you're finally awake." a voice said. Hope nearly jumped, and turned his head to see Mina Mongoose, a smile on her face. "I thought you would never wake up. If it weren't for me, though, you probably wouldn't be here."

"You were the one who made those vines appear, weren't you?" Hope asked.

"You're pretty smart." Mina complimented. Hope blushed at the comment. "Yeah I did. I've had the power to control plants for as long as I can remember. I didn't want to watch you die, so with my powers, I used the little plant life that was underground to constrict that hedgehog, and you know the rest."

"I'm impressed. That was some great work on your part." Hope told her.

"Thanks." Mina then had a thought. "Hope, right?" Hope nodded. "How about I join you and your companions on your travels?" If Hope was eating something, he probably would've choked on it right there and then.

"B-but what about you're singing career?!" Hope questioned.

"I was planning to end it after that performance in Central City. It was luxurious and fun, but I wanted friends and a normal life, so I decided to retire after one final performance. And it sure went out with a bang." Emerald orbs stared into ocean blue ones.

"So will you let me join you?"

Hope pondered over this, wondering what he should do.

"_Why is everyone I'm meeting suddenly wanting to join me?_" Hope thought with a mental sigh. The hedgehog stared at Mina, his heart making the decision.

"All right, you can join us."

**After an intense battle with a returning Chaos, Hope has gained a new ally: Mina Mongoose. What will this mean for the group of four? What are these feelings Hope is experiencing? And what will Chaos do now? Find out in the next chapter of Heaven and Hell.**


	7. Chaotic Union

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Chaotic Union

"Damn that Hope!" Chaos roared, his power rising to a high level. "Damn him to hell!! Why can't I beat him?!" Chaos was in Future City after retreating from Hope and his friends. His anger towards the white hedgehog was truly getting out of control. He was too angry to even cause destruction. "I had him where I wanted. Then that mongoose girl got in the way, and now I lost…again!! Damn it! I am going to kill that hedgehog, bring him back from the dead, kill him again, find his soul in Hell, and then kill him again!!"

Chaos wanted to vent his frustrations out on someone, and he was going to get the chance when he felt a presence and he turned his head. He saw that eight anthros were talking to someone, but the one who they were talking to is what caught his interest.

The figure was a female red echidna a little younger than him with emerald eyes and eight waist-length dreadlock quills tied up by a ring. She wore a purple shirt that ends above her stomach and has a long sleeve on her right arm and is sleeveless on her left. Her stomach bore a white crescent moon birthmark, and she wore a bandanna with a neon-lavender symbol on her left arm. She also wore tattered blue jeans, black/yellow shoes with white laces, and black fingerless gloves that have the kanji of fire on them.

Chaos was immensely surpised because he thought that the echidna race was extinct. He then had a great idea on how to burn out his anger.

"Hey, sweet thing, how about you come with us for the night?" a green dog asked with a sly grin.

"Sounds tempting, but I'll pass." the echidna replied sarcastically.

"Oh come on. We all thought there were no echidnas, but it's lucky that we were wrong. I've always wanted to see how well an echidna could do in bed." a black hawk said with a perverted grin.

That last statement struck a nerve in the echidna, for she began to have evil thoughts to kill them. She grabbed something from her jeans and was about to do something when…

"It looks like this isn't your lucky day." Chaos said before stabbing his blade through the hawk's chest from behind.

This totally caught everyone there off-guard as the hawk gasped a bit before falling to the ground dead.

"W-why did you do that?!" a red cat asked him. "Because I'm in a really foul mood, and need somebody to take my frustrations out on. You guys are unfortunately my victims."

The remaining seven panicked, and before they could do anything, Chaos severed the head of the green dog with his blades. Two hedgehogs pulled out guns, but before they could pull the triggers, Chaos sliced off the barrels and stabbed both of them in the stomach, ending them. A fox tried to run away, but Chaos held his hand and completely obliterated him with a blast of chaos energy. There was only one left, a blue wolf, who was paralyzed with fear. Chaos threw one of his blades at the wolf, and it struck him right between the eyes, and he fell to the floor, dead.

"Oh, I feel much better." Chaos said relieved. He then noticed the echidna staring right at him. "What are you looking at?"

"Oh nothing. I'm just impressed by the way you killed those men." she replied.

"Impressed?" the hedgehog asked confusedly. "Yeah. I was going to kill those men anyway. They were total perverts, and I hate those kind of people. But I'm really impressed by your power. Just who are you."

"Chaos…" he told her. "Chaos the Hedgehog, the God of Destruction."

"Interesting." the echidna said. "I'm Kexia the Echidna." Chaos just grunted as he turned to leave, but was stopped when Kexia grabbed his arm. "Where are you going?"

"Out of here." he simply said. He didn't feel like causing any destruction today.

"You're not going anywhere unless you take me with you." she told him. Chaos was taken aback by the statement, but wasn't going to give in easily, and narrowed his eyes.

"Give me one good reason I should let you travel with me." he told her.

Just then, sirens were heard as several police hovercars surrounded them as the police pointed their guns.

"You're under arrest for murder!" one of them announced.

"Man the police work fast." Chaos commented. Kexia looked around and smiled deviously.

"Let me take care of them." she offered. "I'll prove to you that I'm worth bringing with you."

"Fine." Chaos replied. "Take them out if you can." Kexia smirked as she walked towards the police, who were ready to fire at any minute.

"Put your hands up or we will fire on you!" the warned.

"Oh okay." She raised her hands in the air, and the police thought she was cooperating. Unfortunately, she had no intention as she curled her hands into fists and brought them down, bashing them together. Just then, flames erupted from her fists, and soon circled around her.

"Open fire!" the police ordered. They all fired rounds at the echidna, but the flames surrounded her like a shield, and melted all the bullets.

"Your guns are no match for the power of the Living Flames." she said before sending her flames at the police.

The police ran for their lives as the flames destroyed their cars and vehicles. The flames then went after the police, and engulfed over half of them, burning them as they screamed in pain as their lives ended. Chaos watched with a malevolent smile as the flames destroyed everything around them. Once done, the echidna turned back towards Chaos.

"So am I good enough to come with you?" Kexia asked.

Chaos then went into a thinking state about it. Now he usually never allowed any to travel. He worked with several people before, but just to use them and ended up betraying them later. But he remembered his last battle with Hope, how he was beaten thanks to him and his allies. Then he realized how he beat him that time: through numbers and teamwork. He disliked working with others permanently, but if was going to kill Hope, he was going to need others.

"Fine. You seem capable enough. You can come with me."

"Heh, I knew you would see it my way." she said. But this was what she was thinking,

"_Oh my god! He's letting me come with him! I can feel it. He's different from other men. He's strong, handsome, and has a presence that just makes me melt with happy feelings. I am going to make Chaos mine, and I won't let anything stop me!"_

They then heard sirens above them, and looked up to the road that was above them. They saw several police hovercars chasing someone.

It was a grey hawk with green feathers covering his chest, five drooping feathers sticking out the back of his head, and one blue eye and one red eye. Bandages covered his entire left arm and part of his chest. He wore brown pants that act like jeans on right leg and shorts on the left leg, green/red/blue shoes, yellow fingerless gloves, and a headband tilted to cover part of his left eye. He was riding on Extreme Gear, being chased by the cops.

"Halt or we will fire on you!" the cops warned as they chased him.

The hawk didn't seem to even listen as he continued to ride his board. The cops had no choice, but as they were about to fire, the hawk slowed down immensely, allowing the hovercars to past him, but not before placing tags with Japanese writing on them on two of the cars. When they were past him, he held two of his fingers up, and the tags exploded, taking the cars and the cops in them to hell.

The cops were instantly on alert as they fired their guns out of the windows towards the hawk. He swerved to the side of the road and grinded it, dodging the bullets that were missing him by inches. When he was close enough to one of the hovercars, he jumped into the air, grabbing his board and landing on the front of the car. Before the cop had time to react, the hawk pulled out a sai and stabbed the cop in the chest with it through the glass. He pulled it away as he jumped off and put his board under his feet as he landed. The car, whose driver was dead, drove off the road and towards the ground below, blowing up. The final car was still on the hawk's tail, but then he turned around and started to ride straight towards it. The cop thought he was crazy, but then he jumped off the board and over the hovercar while the board went under it. The hawk completely went over the car and landed on the board as it came out the other side perfectly. The cop was completely stunned by what he did, but it was a mistake as he failed to notice the turn that was coming up and ran off the road and towards the ground below. After watching the death of the last cop, the hawk simply rode away before more showed up.

The hawk continued to ride on his board until he was sure that no one was following him. He stopped, and jumped off the board, grabbing it and placing it under his arm, and started to walk away. But then a purple flash of light behind him, and the hawk turned around, only to have a dual blade of Chaos to his neck, Kexia behind him.

"Great, this day just keeps getting better and better." the hawk said sarcastically.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to kill you." the hedgehog told him. "Now what's you're name."

"Trilan the Hawk." he replied. "Why were those cops chasing you?" Chaos asked.

"I killed a few guys." the hawk replied.

"Really? Why?" he asked.

"Because I hated them." Trilan told him. "I just hated them. I really didn't have a reason to hate them. And because I hated them, I killed them."

"You killed them for no reason?" Chaos asked with a smile. "I'm already liking you."

"Why the hell are you even speaking to me?" the hawk asked suspiciously.

Chaos grew a little smirk on his face. "Here's the deal. I never wanted allies or teammates. I was always a loner, manipulated others, destroyed everything in my path. But I've met a roadblock called Hope. He keeps beating me, and I then realized that I have to play the same game as Hope. In order to beat his little team, I have to assemble a team of my own. And this is why I am allowing the echidna, to join me. And seeing you take out those cops the way you did has caught my interest. How about joining me on my quest for destruction?"

"Okay." the hawk simply replied.

"You're going to join me?" Chaos asked surpised. "Just like that? No arguing or catch?"

"I really have no other purpose in my life. I'm just filled with hate, and that's all I have. I want a purpose in my life. And you're giving me a chance to have one."

"So it looks like you're joining us." Chaos dissolved his blade. "Just to let you know, I am Chaos the Hedgehog, the God of Destruction. And this is Kexia the Echidna, also my new ally." Trilan stared at the echidna for quite a while.

"I'm surprised by there being an echidna, but why does it have to be a slut echidna?" The next thing he knew, he was lying on the floor after his face was drilled by Kexia's fist.

"I am not a slut! I'm a virgin!" Kexia proclaimed, and then pounded the hell out of the hawk. Chaos looked on in amusement at the sight.

"_These two are very powerful, I can tell. Maybe with their help, I can finally get rid of the white annoyance." _he thought.

"Listen up." Kexia stopped her beating and the two looked at their new leader. "Since we're going to be a team, I think we should have a name to go by. That way we'll be recognized by all." Chaos grew an evil smile on his face. "And I know just what to call ourselves."

"From now on, we'll be known as… the Vendetta!"

* * *

**Things don't look well for Hope as the Vendetta is formed. What will the Vendetta goal be? What is going on with Hope and his team? And will anyone else join this new group bent on destruction? Find out in the next chapter of Heaven and Hell.**


	8. Light Speed

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Light Speed

Hope looked back at his companions, who he had gathered over the past two weeks. Mina, who had just joined them, seemed to have a happy expression as she enjoyed the surroundings. Smash still had the same lazy expression as he usually did, but Rena was different. Instead of her usual energetic, cheerful self, she had a somewhat hostile expression towards Mina, though the mongoose didn't notice.

"I don't get why she has to come with us." Rena said grumpily. "I've told you before Rena, she asked to come with us. And I just couldn't say no." It was true. Hope was completely soft when it came to girls, and completely clueless about them as well. Rena grumbled as she crossed her arms.

"Could've at least talked to us first about it." she muttered.

Hope had no idea why Rena was so upset over a new companion, but this is why he didn't understand girls at times.

They continued travelling, the quartet occasionally talking to each other, they eventually reached a new city. It was a huge city, but not as big as Central City, it had many attractions, and was very crowded, as millions of people walked on the streets.

"Damn." Hope muttered. "This place is completely filled with people. I don't think I've ever seen this many people live in one city."

"I know this place." Mina stated. "I performed here once before during my singing career. It's called Station Square."

"Dad used to talk about this place quite a bit." Smash added. "You know, I've always wondered why this isn't the capital instead of Central City." The four remained in silence for a few moments before Hope spoke.

"How about we go get something to eat while we're here?" Hope suggested. "I'm kinda hungry after all that walking." The others agreed and went off to find the nearest restaurant.

The quartet, no later, was sitting at a table just outside a restaurant. They were sipping their drinks as they waited for their orders to arrive. They were completely silent, as none of them didn't know what to talk about. Everything was way too quiet, and all of them became nervous because of this.

"What would be a good team name for us?" Hope asked out of nowhere. The others were taken off guard by the question. "Hey, if we're going to be travelling together, I can feel we're going to fight quite a bit. I think a team name would be appropriate since we'll be well known one day." Hope told them.

"And how do you know we're going to famous?" Mina asked.

"Because we will be." the hedgehog replied with a smirk.

"There's that arrogant side again." Smash said lazily.

"But seriously, we need a team name." the swordsman told them.

For the next five minutes, the group had cycled through at least thirty names, some of them interesting, some of them… well let's just say they wouldn't be heard ever.

They were all officially stumped, as they couldn't find a name that fit them. Hope leaned back in his chair as he tried to think of something, unconsciously placing a hand on his holstered sword. He realized what he did, and took a good look at it. A stroke of inspiration just hit his head.

"I got it!" he shouted, causing everyone to nearly fall out of their chairs in surprise. "I got the perfect name for us!" Everyone raised eyebrows at what he was going to say.

"…Team Crystallix." Everyone thought about the name for a few seconds.

"I like it." Rena commented. "It actually seems to fit us pretty well."

"Yeah, it's better than all the other names we've come up with." Smash added. "I think it could actually work for us."

"So it's settled then." Mina said happily. "We are now going to be officially known as Team Crystallix."

"A toast! To our our official name, Team Crystallix." Hope said, raising his cup. Everyone followed suit, and they all bashed their cups together as a sign of friendship. "Soon everyone will know about us." They all drank, and each one had a smile on their face as they looked into the clear sky.

"Hey where did you get the name anyway?" Smash asked.

"Oh, I got the inspiration from my sword." the hedgehog explained, touching his sword. "It's called Crystal Light. It's very important to me. It's something I treasure very deeply."

His face then went solemn as he remembered its original owner, his own father. He then saw a little child playing with his parents, and it brought back memories…painful memories. He tried to take his eyes off of them, but just couldn't as the memories flowed through him, causing him sorrow and grief. Everyone noticed his expression, causing them to instantly worry.

"Are you okay, Hope?" Mina asked him.

"I'm fine." Hope replied, standing up. "I need to go for a while."

"Wait, why don't we go with you?" Rena suggested hopefully.

"No, I need to be alone." he told them.

"But you seem to be gloomy, and being alone doesn't do that any good." Rena persisted. "Why don't you stay and we can…"

"Didn't you hear me?! I want to be left alone!! Get that through your thick head!!" Hope snapped at her.

Silence filled the area. Everyone around was staring at the four. Smash was completely taken aback, Mina was aghast, and Rena looked like she was on the verge of crying. The hedgehog realized his mistake and ran away as fast as he could, leaving his companions in the dust, completely dumbfounded.

* * *

A figure stood on top of cliff overshadowing Station Square, the figure in question looking down at the city with a smile on his face.

"Station Square…" he said. "It's been a while since I've been there. Wonder what's happened while I've been gone? Well, won't know until I see it for myself." And with that said, the figure zoomed into the city as a blue blur.

* * *

Hope walked through the streets of the city, feeling pretty guilty about what he did.

"I didn't mean to yell at Rena like that." he said to himself. "But… I really wanted to be alone." He put his hands over his head in frustration. "Why can't I just forget about that day?! Why can't I move on?! Why is that day always haunting me?" Tears silently ran down his face. He was completely sad, and didn't know what to get rid of the sadness.

"They all probably hate me for what I did." he sulked.

He continued walking through the streets, unsure of what he should do, until he heard an explosion out of nowhere. The swordsman shot his head up in response, and saw that the explosion came from somewhere in the city, thanks to the smoke from it. Knowing trouble was brewing, he pushed his thoughts aside for the time being and ran towards the explosion.

"Why does this have to happen now of all times?" Hope complained.

He didn't want to deal with whatever was happening, but he had to for it was his duty as a hero. He had arrived at the site of the explosion, and honestly was surprised by the sight. There were a massive amount of round, red and black robots, many of them holding guns, but his focus was on who they surrounded. It was a blue hedgehog with six contour quills and emerald eyes. He wore white gloves and red and white sneakers with a gold buckle on them. The hedgehog had a confident smile about him.

"Man, Egghead never takes a break, does he?" he said.

A robot stepped forward and the hedgehog was about to take it out when a sword pierced its head from behind. This caught the hedgehog and the robots all by surprise as Hope jumped into the fray, pulling Crystal Light out of the robot's head, and the machine fell to the ground dead.

"Well that's one way to make an entrance." the hedgehog commented. "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like; I'm here to take these things out."

Suddenly, some of the robots fired their guns at them, and the two narrowly dodged them in time. They found themselves with their backs to each others as they were surrounded.

"Get out of here. Things are going to get pretty messy." the hedgehog told him.

"Please, I've been in worse situations than this." Hope smirked, gripping his sword tightly.

"Besides, I've having some problems right now and need to take out my frustration."

"Well, I warned you. By the way, name's Sonic the Hedgehog." the hedgehog introduced himself.

"Hope the Hedgehog." the swordsman replied.

"Well, how about we make this into a game? The one who can take out the most Egg Pawns wins." Sonic proposed

"You're making a game out of a dangerous predicament?" Hope asked, with Sonic nodding with a smile. He sighed in response. "Fine you're on. But I'll tell you now, I'm certain to win."

"We'll see about that." Sonic told him with a confident grin. All remained silent as the two stared down at the Egg Pawns that surrounded them. Then, the two jumped into the Egg Pawns, ready for battle

Hope was slashing at the Egg Pawns, cutting them in half left and right with ease.

"These things are weak. I thought they would be more of a challenge." he said, feeling pretty confident.

Unfortunately, he spoke too soon for as he continued cutting down the Egg Pawns, one had snuck behind and grabbed him. Hope was caught off guard as he saw a Pawn heading towards him, lance in hand. Relying on instinct, Hope used all of his strength to throw the Pawn holding him over his body and into the path of the lance. The lance pierced the Pawn's body, and he backed away.

"Dang I got too confident." he said to himself. "These things are weak, but have strength in numbers."

And that was proven when suddenly they begin to surround him and pile on him. He tried to fight them off, but there were too many and he eventually was swallowed by them. Just when it seemed over for Hope, a bright light grew in the pile, and then the light exploded, throwing away all the Egg Pawns. Hope stood there, his sword pointed towards the air, panting like crazy.

"Damn, that was too close for comfort." he breathed out.

"Hey," Sonic said as he suddenly appeared before Hope. "If you want to win, you're going to have to do better than that." He gave a smile before dashing back into battle at speeds Hope thought wasn't possible, taking out Egg Pawns with ease.

"Man, Egghead must be losing his touch. The quality of these robots is getting worse every day."

Of course, you can never get too confident these days. As Sonic was destroying the Egg Pawns, one of them had put a foot in his path. He tripped over it, rolling across the ground before crashing into a building, ending upside down on his head.

"Okay, didn't see that coming." he commented.

The Egg Pawns then started to swarm on him. Acting quickly, he stood up and curled into a ball. He shot at them, piercing through several of their bodies before uncurling. He kicked one away and punched the head off another. Unfortunately, as he fought, he failed to notice one of them creeping behind him, a lance in its hand. It was about to stab him when it was suddenly beheaded. Sonic turned around, just to find that Hope had taken out the Egg Pawn.

"Better watch your back more often." he told Sonic with a smirk.

"Hey, who's the one winning the game?" Sonic retorted with a smile. "I've taken out over 50."

"Damn, I've have only 40." Hope replied, actually enjoying this. He brandished his sword at the Egg Pawns. "Who sent these things anyway?"

"That would be me."

Hope and Sonic turned around and were met with a new robot landing right in front of him. It was a giant crimson robot with neon white markings all over its body. On it's chest was its core that was colored purple. It had grey hands and feet, and black joint with crimson swirls. Attached to its back was a black jetpack, and in the head was a cockpit for the controls, and inside was its controller. He was an obese human who was bald, wore black glasses, goggles on his head, and had an orange moustache. He wore a red suit with white stripes and yellow buttons, and black tight pants that also acted as boots. The Egg Pawns had scattered away, knowing they would get destroyed in the upcoming battle.

"Yo Eggman. Long time no see. Haven't seen you since the Gaia Incident." Sonic said with a smirk.

"You know this guy?" Hope asked him.

"Yeah. He's my arch-enemy." Sonic explained. "He's a super-smart scientist bent on world-domination. But no matter what he does, I always kick his butt and end his plans time and time again." The blue hedgehog chuckled a bit. "I wonder when he'll learn from his mistakes."

"Silence, rodent!" Eggman shouted from the cockpit. "You may have defeated me many times in the past, but today is the day I finally beat you!!"

"You always say that, but it's always the same result: I end up beating you and you go back to scheming." Sonic replied.

"Well it won't happen this time! Once you're out of the way, world domination will be mine! Prepare to face the Egg Crimson!"

The jetpack on the Egg Crimson's back powered up and it shot towards Sonic at high speed and threw a fist. Sonic, of course, was faster and easily dodged the large robot. He curled into ball form, and shot towards it. The Egg Crimson stopped immediately and then, using its jetpack, went into the air as it avoided the Spin Dash, as Sonic called it. The hedgehog looked up into the air as Eggman smirked from above.

"Sonic, this robot is far different from the others I've built before. Allow me to demonstrate."

The Egg Crimson held out its hand, and much to Sonic's surprise, spheres began to form in its palms. He recognized it as chaos energy, and the spheres grew larger with time. With a smirk on Eggman's face, the Egg Crimson threw one of the spheres at him. Sonic ran away, but the moment the sphere made contact with the ground, an explosion occurred, surprising the famous hero. After anticipating Sonic's path, the Eggman had the Egg Crimson throw the other sphere in front of Sonic. The blue hedgehog skidded to a halt, but was too close as the sphere erupted into an explosion, sending the hedgehog away and landing on his back.

Eggman saw this as an opportunity, flying straight towards Sonic. The hedgehog stood up, and turned to find the Egg Crimson throwing its fist at him. Just as it was about to hit, Hope jumped in and pulled him out of the way in time. The landed on the ground safely, and Eggman growled at this.

"Great, another rodent to deal with." he grumbled. "You should not have come into this at all. Who are you?!" The snow white hedgehog stood up and turned around, a serious expression on his face.

"I'm Hope the Hedgehog, son of Saria and Nosan." He pointed his sword at the Egg Crimson. "And I'm going to stop you."

"Pretty confident, I see. I don't care how strong you think you are, but it takes that blue rodent and his friends to defeat me. What makes you think you can?" Eggman asked him.

"You be surprised at what I can do." Hope replied, a smirk on his face.

The snow white hedgehog dashed towards the robot, and the Egg Crimson threw a chaos energy sphere in response. Knowing what they could do, Hope easily dodged it. Frowning slightly, Eggman flew into the air, and began charging chaos energy between the robot's palms.

"Oh, I'm not letting you do that!"

Hope conjured up a sphere of light in his hand and threw it at Eggman. The chaos energy sphere was half as big as the Egg Crimson when the sphere of light hit it, and streams of light began to pierce the sphere from inside.

"Oh phooey." Eggman muttered.

The sphere exploded in his face, a big explosion at that considering its size. "And that's why you don't underestimate Hope the Hedgehog." he said with a smirk. But just when he thought it was over, from the smoke above, a large grey metallic hand shot out at Hope and grabbed him, squeezing him within its grip. The hand was then brought back with a cable into the smoke, Hope in tow. When the smoke cleared, the Egg Crimson was still there, some of its armor blown off and paint blown away, and a very pissed off Eggman in the cracked cockpit.

"I'm going to make you pay rodent!" he yelled, anger evident on his face.

"Yo Egghead! Heads up!" Sonic shouted.

The Egg Crimson turned, only to be met with Sonic's Spin Dash. The sudden attack caused the Egg Crimson to let go of Hope, who landed on the ground gasping for air from being nearly crushed.

"Hey, you okay?" Sonic asked as he landed as well, getting a nod in response. "Good. Man, I didn't think Eggman was smart enough to harness chaos energy into a robot. He's certainly determined I'll give him that." Suddenly an idea popped into Hope's mind, and he gained a devious smirk, which didn't go unnoticed by Sonic.

"What are you thinking?" Sonic asked suspiciously.

From above, the Egg Crimson was still recovering from Sonic's Spin Dash.

"I hate that hedgehog!" Eggman proclaimed. "I am going to destroy him once and for all!" The Egg Crimson turned, and the villain saw Sonic in ball form, spinning rapidly in place and Hope a few feet away from him. "Now what are they doing?!"

His question was answered when Hope started to run towards Sonic's ball form at full speed. When close enough, he reeled his leg back, and with all his might, like a soccer ball, kicked Sonic towards the Egg Crimson at high speeds. Eggman was too taken back to react, and Sonic hit the purple core in its chest. The robot was sent plummeting to the ground, crashing with a huge thud, smoke surrounding. Sonic landed on the ground, rubbing his back.

"Damn, that hurt." he muttered.

"Looks like we did it." Hope stated, walking up beside Sonic. The blue hedgehog didn't seem fully convinced, worrying that Eggman wasn't going to give up. And he was right.

The Egg Crimson emerged from the smoke, its purple core slightly cracked, and pounded them both with twin punches. They were sent crashing into buildings, groaning from the pain.

"I've had it! Too many times I've lost! This is my time, Sonic! And this is the end for you!" Eggman roared. The Egg Crimson began charging a chaos energy sphere in its palms, and as time passed, it was as big as it was. "DIE!!"

He threw the sphere at the two hedgehogs, who just recovered from the earlier attacked. They were too late to notice the sphere and it exploded in front of them. A few moments passed when realization hit Eggman.

"I won. I finally won." Eggman murmured. He then began to laugh joyously at the revelation of his victory. "Now that annoying blue rodent is out of the way, it'll only be a matter of time before his friends follow!! The world will soon belong to Dr. Eggman!!!"

His joy was short-lived, for when the smoke cleared, shock overtook him. Rena stood in front of Sonic and Hope, holding out her staff. She arrived at the last minute and conjured up a magic shield to protect them from the explosion.

"Rena…" Hope said softly. He saw that she was panting heavily. It probably took a lot of energy to protect them from an explosion that big.

"Why is it that when I'm so close to victory, someone comes in and ruin it for me?!" Eggman complained.

"I don't know. Maybe you're just not lucky." Smash said, leaning on the Crimson Egg's leg.

Eggman was quite shocked by his appearance, and out of anger threw a fist at him. Smash jumped into the air to avoid and landed on the arm. Eggman tried to grab, but he jumped onto the shoulder. The evil scientist did everything he could to catch the lazy wolf, but Smash was just too fast and swift.

As Eggman was distracted by Smash, Hope stood up, looking at the back of the sorceress.

"Rena…" Hope said, although the fox still wouldn't turn around.

"Hope!" A voice called out. He and Sonic turned around to find Mina coming towards them. "When we saw the explosion, we came as fast as we could." she said. "Seems we missed a lot."

"Think you can do anything to stop this guy?"

"Sorry. There is almost no plant life in this city for me to control. I hate to say it, but I'm pretty much useless." Mina said as she hung her head down.

"Hey, don't be like that." Hope said, trying to cheer her up. Mina still was said, but then noticed the core on the Egg Crimson's chest.

"Hey, what's that on the robot's chest? And why is it cracked?" she asked. Hope and Sonic looked at the cracked core, and both came to a devious conclusion.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Sonic asked with a smirk.

"Oh yeah." Hope replied. "Thanks for the help, Mina." He put a hand on her shoulder, surprising her. "Let's do this!"

Sonic dashed towards the Egg Crimson at sonic speed, while Crystal Light gained a brilliant light. Blue chaos energy formed in Sonic's hand and turned into a cyan sphere. Smash, seeing what they were doing, jumped away from the Egg Crimson. "Now what?!" Eggman asked.

"**Heaven's Beam!**"

Hope fired a beam of light at the Egg Crimson, which hit the core. This caught Eggman off-guard as more of the core cracked under the beam's intensity. Sonic jumped into the air, blue orb in hand and yelled two words.

"**Sonic Wind!**"

He pressed the orb into the core, and combined with the beam of light, it destroyed the core. The Egg Crimson began to rattle, signaling its end.

"I…HATE… THAT…HEDGEHOG!!!" Eggman roared as the Egg Crimson exploded. Eggman escaped in his Eggmobile, with a very angry expression on his face, with the Egg Pawns running away with their creator.

"Hopefully you'll learn you just can't win Egghead!" Sonic shouted at he flew away, and then turned towards Hope. "Thanks for the help."

"Hey, that's what heroes do, right?" Hope told him with a smile, but then he saw his three companions with solemn expressions as they looked at him. "Excuse me, Sonic." He walked up to the three, and they didn't say a word to him.

"Look. I'm sorry I snapped at you guys earlier. It's just… I've been through a lot, and I'm so used to being alone that I haven't gotten use to being around others for an extended period of time. Back there, I kinda had a painful flashback, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you guys. Can you forgive me?" The three looked at each other, and then back at Hope.

"Eh, why not? I can understand what you're saying. I know you didn't mean it." Smash said.

"Yeah, you're a good guy Hope. It must be tough to be all alone. But you don't have take everything on your shoulders. You have friends now." Mina said with a smile. Rena remained silent, and he worried that maybe he wouldn't forgive him. She stared at him for a while, and soon a big smile grew on her face.

"Oh I can't stay mad at you!" Rena said as she hugged Hope.

He smiled slightly, knowing that his friends had forgiven him. It may take him awhile, but he was sure that he could put the past behind him.

* * *

At Eggmanland, Eggman's own sanctuary and lair, the doctor was sitting down, looking at his computer, Sonic's words echoing through his mind.

"_You always say that, but it's always the same result: I end up beating you and you go back to scheming." _

"What if he's right?" the doctor murmured. "What if I can't beat him? I've tried so many times for years, but it's always the same end result." The doctor looked dejected, his will seemingly crushed by this latest defeat.

"Having doubts doctor?" someone asked.

From the shadows, came a new figure. He was a blue robot that had strong body armor, five spikes on the back of his head with white highlights, and razor sharp claws. He had red pointed metal shoes were pointed, black shoulder blades, a spiked belt, gauntlets, and a black, flowing cape. He also had a yellow chamber in his stomach. The most intimidating feature was perhaps his cold, red electronic eyes.

"How can I not, Metal Sonic?" the doctor replied. "That blue rodent keeps beating me time and time again. I wonder if I can actually beat him."

"It's a good thing you created me then." Metal said, earning the doctor's attention. "While you were off fighting Sonic, I decided to pay Future City a visit. You remember Light Gaia and Dark Gaia?"

"Of course I do. What do they have to do with this?" Eggman questioned. Metal Sonic pulled out a disc from his chamber.

"I found this in an abandoned laboratory. The information in it will definitely please you." He inserted the disc into the computer, and the information showed on the screen. The doctor's eyes widened, and he soon began to chuckle evilly.

"My, my, how interesting. I think I've found a way to defeat Sonic once and for all!" Eggman began to laugh evilly, his next plan already in the works.

**Eggman may be down, but he isn't done yet with our heroes. What is the new information he has learned? Will Hope finally be able to put the past behind him? And what do the Gaias have to with this? Find out in the next chapter of Heaven and Hell.**


	9. Battle of Chaos

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

OC © ???

Battle of Chaos

Outisde the city of Westopolis, one figure stood in the fields outside thee city next to a tree, watching the city. He was a jet-black hedgehog with six upturned quills, each one sporting a red highlight, blood red eyes, and a tuft of white fur sporting his chest. He wore white gloves, golden bracelets around his wrists and ankles, and white/red hover shoes, which's paint seems to have slightly come off over time.

"Hmmm. Not often I don't get an assignment." the hedgehog spoke.

The hedgehog continued to stare at the city, many thoughts running through his head. This hedgehog was known as the Ultimate Life Form. But the Ultimate Life Form was about to meet his match in the God of Destruction.

* * *

Inside the city, people were bustling, going about their usual business just like every day. But within the crowd, three characters stood out.

"So this is Westopolis." Chaos said, taking in his surroundings.

"I hate this place." Trilan stated. "I hate the buildings. I hate the people. I hate this entire city."

"You hate everything." Kexia pointed out. "I don't get why, but you hate everything for no particular reason."

"That's just me. The only reason I'm even in this group is because I don't have any other purpose." the hawk explained.

"You know this places seems too happy and peaceful for my taste." Chaos told them as he turned around. "Why don't we help spice things up in this place." The demonic hedgehog grew a devilish smirk, and the others did so as well. Chaos turned towards the people, purple arrows forming in his hands.

* * *

"No point in staying here. Better get back to HQ." the hedgehog turned to leave, but he had only taken a few steps when he heard an explosion from behind. He turned back to the city to see a smoke rising from inside Westopolis.

"What the...?!" the hedgehog exclaimed, but then calmed down. "It's probably Eggman. When will he learn to give up? Guess I'll take care of this."

And with that said, the hedgehog skated towards the city at high speeds.

* * *

The hedgehog arrived in the middle of Westopolis, and saw that the people were running from something down the street. Narrowing his eyes, he skated towards the location. When he arrived at the site, he was shocked.

Bodies were piled all over the area, blood staining the streets. Some of the bodies were stabbed, others decapitated, and some were brutally mutilated. It was a completely horrifying sight.

"This isn't Eggman's doing. He's not this merciless, insane, or uncaring." the hedgehog stated. "But if isn't him, who is it?"

"Well, well, I thought I sense a powerful presence nearby." a voice said.

The hedgehog turned his head in response, and saw Chaos sitting on a pile of bodies, his dual Destructix Blades stabbed into the bodies. He smiled malevolently at the hedgehog, who stared right at the demonic hedgehog.

"I knew someone was going to be a hero and try to stop me. But I didn't expect one to come here so soon." Chaos said, a little smirk on his face. "Although it doesn't matter since you're going to die anyway."

"Who are you?" the hedgehog questioned.

"Straight to the point, eh?" Chaos said. "Very well, you should know the name of your executioner. I am Chaos the Hedgehog, God of Destruction!" He proudly stood up, pulling his blades out of the bodies. "And you will be my next victim."

The jet-black hedgehog just stood there, staring at the homicidal maniac with an unreadable expression. But he slowly grew a smirk on his face, confusing Chaos.

"God of Destruction, you say?" the hedgehog said, the smirk still plastered on his face. "Then it will truly prove how superior I am when I defeat you!"

"What?! You think that you can actually defeat me?!" Chaos roared. "You think you are stronger than me."

"I know I am." he said cooly, enraging the demonic hedgehog. "I think you should know who I am. I am Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form! And even the God of Destruction must bow down to the Ultimate Life Form!"

"I will never bow down to you! I bow down to no one! You hear me!! No one..."

"Do me a favor and shut up!" Shadow said as he appeared in front of him and delivered a shattering punch to his face.

Chaos flew back a bit before regaining control and landing on the ground. He touched the spot on his face where Shadow had struck, his anger steadily rising. It was the second time that anyone had caused him harm in years. He dissolved his blades, wanting to tear him apart with his own two fists. He clenched his fists in anger as he slowly powered up.

"You have no idea who you're messing with." Chaos said darkly.

"Hmph, I think I do. And I'm not impressed." Shadow replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

That was the final straw for Chaos as he disappeared in a flash of purple light. Shadow was caught off-guard as Chaos appeared behind him and swung his leg at him. Shadow noticed it in time to raise his forearm, blocking it. He pushed it away, and turned around, throwing a fist at the demonic hedgehog. Chaos lowered his head to dodge, and then used both of his feet push off of his chest. Shadow staggered back a bit as Chaos landed on his feet. The two stared down each other intensely.

"Chaos Control..." Shadow said. "Just now, you used Chaos Control to catch me off-guard."

"Oh, so you know about Chaos techniques?" Chaos asked with a little smirk.

"Yeah. In fact, I excel with chaos energy." Shadow stated. "And from what I can tell, you do too."

"Great analysis. You're smart, I'll give you that." Chaos commented. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're no match for me."

"Well now, we'll just have to see who is superior: the God of Destruction or the Ultimate Life Form." Shadow told him.

The two hedgehogs stared at each other, intesity in their eyes evidently. The tension in the air around them was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Neither made a single move, both of them standing as still as a statue, as if waiting for something to signal the start of the battle.

From above, Kexia and Trilan were watching from above. Trilan remained indifferent, while Kexia had a concerned/annoyed look on her face.

"Why did Chaos told us to stay out of this fight?" Kexia questioned. "The three of us together would be more than enough to destroy that stupid rodent."

"We may have not been with Chaos that long, Kexia," Trilan began. "but it's pretty obvious that Chaos has a massive ego and a huge supeiority complex. He felt this guy's power, and saw it as something that might rival his. He wanted to prove himself superior to this hedgehog, and he felt that he couldn't do so if he did with others helping him."

"But doesn't he get that we're teammates now, and that we help each other out in fights?" Kexia asked.

"Maybe he's fought by himself for so long that he hasn't grasped the concept of teamwork yet." Trilan suggested. "In any event, we should stay put. It would be pointless to interfere in this fight. Besides, I think we should just trust our leader."

Kexia, though reluctantly, agreed and watched her secret love and Shadow down below, who still didn't move. Trilan, seeing this, kicked a pebble off the building, letting it fall to the ground. The moment it hit the floor, the battle was triggered.

**"Chaos Control!" **they both yelled.

The two disappeared in flashes of yellow and purple lights. Immediately after that, clash after clash was seen around the area at such intense speeds that the normal eye couldn't follow it.

For Chaos and Shadow, time had slowed down around them from the Chaos Control and they were fighting like crazy. Chaos attempted a haymaker, but Shadow ducked it and delivered an upward kick. The God of Destruction backed away to avoid it, and then jumped into the air and brought down his leg. Shadow raised his arms in defense, stopping the kick, and took the chance to knee Chaos in the gut. The demonic hedgehog gasped from the pain as Shadow punched him in the face. Time resumed its place as this happened, and Chaos crashed into a building.

"Damn it!" Chaos muttered as he pulled himself out of the building. "I hate to admit it, but you're stronger than I expected."

"Can't say the same to you. I'm not impressed in any way by your skills." Shadow replied.

"Heh, well you're about to be. I was only testing your abilities, and now I think it's time for me to let loose." Chaos said menacingly as he cracked his neck.

"Funny, I was just thinking the exact same thing." Shadow replied.

Chaos grinned darkly as he ran straight towards the black hedgehog, reeling his fist back for a punch. Shadow stood ready to defend himself as Chaos jumped into the air. But the Ultimate Life Form noticed that Chaos' grin grew wider, somewhat confusing him. Just then, the demonic hedgehog disappeared in a flash of light, taking Shadow back. He realized what Chaos just did when the God of Destruction appeared behind him, his fist still reeled back. Shadow turned around, but before he could react, Chaos drove his fist into his face. He was sent flying a few feet away before landing on his back. He sat up, rubbing his face in pain when he saw Chaos forming a large purple arrow between his two hands.

**"Chaos Lance!"**

He fired the large arrow at Shadow, who reacted quickly and formed his own Chaos Lance and fired it as well. The two Chaos Lances crashed into each other, forming an explosion between them. Chaos came out from the smoke and sent a punch at Shadow, hoping to catch him off guard. But he saw it coming, and sidestepped the fist. He grabbed Chaos' arm and, with great strength, threw him towards a building. Chaos landed on the wall of the building with his feet, and pushed himself off of it and back towards Shadow. The Ultimate Life Form jumped straight towards Chaos, and when they reached each other, their forearms. For the few seconds they were in the air, they struggled against each other, trying to push the other back.

They backed off and landed on the ground, immediately dashing towards each other the moment they did. They reeled their fists back, and when they were close enough, their punches collided, creating a small shockwave that reverberated around the area. They then shot kicks that collided as well, and the same happen with their elbows. They traded blows at a extremely fast pace, neither of them getting the edge. In the end, they both jumped backwards away rom each other after the exchange. Then suddenly, Shadow grew a red aura around him while Chaos grew a purple aura. Chaos energy was building within them at an alarming rate, and Trilan knew exactly what they were planning to do.

"Kexia!! We have to get out of here!" Trilan exclaimed.

The female echidna didn't need to be told tiwce as the two ran across the buildings, away from the imminent destruction that was about to be unleashed.

**"Chaos Blast!"** they yelled simultaneously.

Explosions of chaos energy, both red and purple, erupted from them, covering the entire area that was around them. When it was over, everything around was turned to rubble from the dual Chaos Blasts. Chaos and Shadow faced each other among the destruction, neither one backing down. They shot towards each other, and thier hands locked with the others in a split second as the slammed their heads together. Both of them were locked in a dead heat tie as chaos energy flowed out of them dangerously from the struggle.

"Incredible! I've never seen anyone come as close to my skill with chaos energy as you!" Chaos grunted.

"I could say the same about you! I can see why you call yourself the God of Destruction!" Shadow replied.

"Yeah, and here's another reason why!" Chaos then kneed Shadow in the gut, causing him to stagger back a bit.

He summoned one of his dual blades and swung it at the Ultimate Life Form. Shadow backed away as the blade nicked his cheek. Blood ran down his cheek as Shadow rebounded and formed a small yellow arrow in his hand.

**"Chaos Spear!"**

He fired the arrow at Chaos, but the demonic hedgehog easily avoided it by jumping into the air.

"Ha ha ha ha ha, is that the best you got?!" Chaos laughed maniacally.

"No, this is." Shadow said as he appeared above Chaos in a flash of light.

Chaos was caught off-guard as Shadow's leg connected with the side of his head, sending him crashing down to the ground, forming a crater. Shadow used his hover shoes to float in the air as he formed a hundred Chaos Spears above him.

**"Chaos Bombardment**!**"**

The Chaos Spears rained down on Chaos one after another, dealing as much damage as it possibly could. When it was over, smoke covered the site of destruction, and Shadow floated down to the ground, slightly panting from the intense battle.

"He was my toughest challenge ever next to the Sonic," he panted. "but in the end, he was not match for the Ultimate Life Form."

And then, Chaos emerged from the smoke, covered in wounds, cuts, and blood, with a pissed off expression on his face. He warped in front of Shadow and punched Shadow in the gut as hard as he could, and the black hedgehog coughed up blood in response. He then kicked him in the face very hard, and Shadow was sent quite a ways by the kick and fell to the ground.

"Damn it!" Shadow grunted as he sat up. "Even after the Chaos Bombardment, he's still able to fight. I've got no choice. I have to use the Emerald!" He then began to fish for something within his quills.

Chaos then brought his hands behind his back, and began to gather chaos energy, flames, and darkness all together in his hands in a concentrated form.

"It's time to use the new technique I've created! Have fun in hell! **Hell Cannon!**"

He thrusted his hands foward, and fired a beam of flames, darkness, and chaos energy straight at Shadow. The Ultimate Life Form pulled out something from his quills, but was too late as the beam made contact with his chest. He dropped what was in his hand as the beam pushed him with great force and damage and crash into the nearest building that was still standing. The impact caused the building to finally crumble over Shadow. And when the smoke cleared, Shadow laid among the rubble, unconscious with many cuts and wounds and blood pouring from several spots on his body. Chaos panted a little heavily from the battle wounds he had and the amount of energy he expended.

"Brag all you want. Even the Ultimate Life Form must bow down to the God of Destruction." Chaos said, a small malicious smirk forming on his face. "Now it's time to finish you..."

His words stopped the moment he laid eyes on the item Shadow dropped. It was a blood red gem, and it seemed to have a glow to it. Chaos' eyes has widened to the fullest. He slowly walked over to it, and gently picked it up. He slowly stroked it as he felt the immense power emanating from it.

"Is... this a Chaos Emerald?" Chaos said to himself in awe, admiring the gem in his hand. When he realized it was, he grew a devil-like smirk, knowing what the possibilities were.

"Chaos! Are you okay?" Trilan shouted to him as he and Kexia returned to him. Kexia gasped upon seeing Chaos' wounds.

"Chaos!! You're hurt badly!" she exclaimed.

"Trilan...Kexia..." he said, ignoring the statement from Kexia. "Look." He then showed the Chaos Emerald to them. "It's a Chaos Emerald."

"I know those!" Kexia told him. "They're seven gems of immense power! And it's said when all seven are brought together, miracles are said to occur!"

"That's right. Trilan, Kexia, the Vendetta have a new objective." Chaos announced. "We will now hunt for the rest of the Emeralds, and with our skills combined it will only be a matter of time before we obtain all seven. And when we do, I will obtain my perfect power!"

Chaos laughed maniacally as Kexia smirked and Trilan just stared indifferently.

"I'm going to let the rodent live for now. He was a pretty good challenge. And it would be pretty exciting for me to face him again in the future." He looked at his comrades. "It is time to go."

Chaos held the Emerald out, and soon a purple flash of light engulfed them, and they were there no more. Shadow slowly began to regain conscious a few minutes afterwards, and he raised his head difficultly just to see Chaos gone.

"Damn it! I can't believe I lost to him! That shouldn't have happened!" Shadow struggled to stand, pushing away some rubble. "And not only that, he took the Chaos Emerald as well! We're going to have a problem."

* * *

Eggman grinned evilly as he continued to make the finishing preparations for his plan to obtain what would lead him to world domination. Metal stared indifferently as Eggman continued to type away on his computer.

"I know your very eager to do this," Metal stated. "But I think you should be a little more worried. The ones we are after are very valuable, and it wouldn't surprise me if you had some competition to compete with."

"Oh please, Metal. The information you've given me is highly classified, unknown to even GUN. Who else is going to know about this?" Eggman retorted.

* * *

In Station Square, which Sonic and Team Crystallix just left a while ago, inside an apartment building, there was figure who sat down on his bed, looking out of his window.

It was a 26-year old male human with spiky, combed back hair that was jet black like Shadow's fur, with silver tips on the front of it. He wore a cerulean T-shirt under a black leather overcoat, a black pair of combat boots and blue jeans, with only a black belt holding it up. His skin was very pale, he was very skinny, lanky, and was very tall. He wore a pair of black sunglasses over his electric blue eyes, and if closely looked at, you could see a bit of a scar over his left eye. And the final touch was a small silver chain necklace with a circular, crystal pendant. He had a devilish grin on his face, and it seemed to be imprinted on his face.

"When I get those two, I'll show everyone. Soon, I'll show everyone that I'm better than all of them. Soon everyone will know my name."

* * *

Within GUN HQ, inside its labs, there was a lone figure, looking at his computer.

The figure was a light gray fox the same age as the male human, with dark brown hair on his head. He had piercing, sharp blue eyes that seemed to hold no emotion, and had a white muzzle as well, along with a dark gray tail with a creamy white tip. He wore a long, pitch-black sleeveless coat, black gloves, and tall green boots with yellow highlights. Covering his entire lower arms were long black cyber gauntlets, and his coat bore the GUN bade with all the emblems attached to it.

This fox stared at analytically at the information he had come across, intrigued by it deeply.

_"I had no idea that such an experiment was taking place without my knowledge." _the fox though to himself. _"Seems GUN doesn't know either, but I can't the chance. I have to get those two before anyone else does. Besides, they could be very useful in future experiments."_

* * *

"Oh Sonic, this time you will not defeat me." Eggman stated, a new flare in his eyes. "Soon I will have the power of the Gaias in my hands! And this time there is nothing you can do about it!"

**After a intense battle between Chaos and Shadow, three dangerous players have come across information that could mean the end for Sonic and Team Crystallix. What will Eggman do to gain what he desires? Who are the other two players in this race for power? And why do the Gaias have so much involvement in this? Find out in the next chapter of Heaven and Hell.**


	10. Yin and Yang

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Yin and Yang

The scene comes to the forest outside of Soleanna, and all was peaceful in the forest.

"AAAAHHHH!!!" a voice screamed.

Well, almost peaceful...

A figure was rolling down a hill within the forest, and eventually crashed into a tree. The figure was a 17-year old pure white hedgehog with five contour quills with blue streaks under each of them. He had ocean blue eyes, as well as yellow markings over his right eye. He wore blue sneakers with yellow straps, orange gloves with the kanji of light on one and a sun on the other. He wore a golden scarf around his neck, and the final touch was the Yin necklace he wore.

"Ooohhh, that hurt." he moaned as he rubbed his head.

"I'm can't believe that you're my twin." another voice said.

The hedgehog turned around to meet another figure. It was a purple hedgehog about the same age as the white one with seven upcurved quills, each one a black highlight on them. He had blood red eyes, red markings over his left eye. He wore black boots, orange gloves with the kanji of darkness on one and a white crescent moon on the other, and a dark blue bandanna around his neck. The final touch to him was the Yang necklace he wore as well. He was nearly identical to the other hedgehog in build and facial features, and an opposite in appearance.

"Now I knew you were an idiot, Shine, but how could you trip so easily like that?" the dark hedgehog scolded.

"It's my not fault I tripped, Havoc." The one known as Shine replied, pouting like a little child. "It was a rock that made me lose my balance."

"Yeah right. You're just a clumsy idiot!" Havoc told him.

"Why do you always have to call me that?" Shine asked him with a whine. "Because that's what you are." The purple hedgehog answered. "Now let's get going. The city is less than a mile away, and every step we make is important to our survival." Havoc continued on, leaving Shine behind. The white hedgehog sighed and followed his twin brother.

* * *

At the headquarters of the Guardian Unit of Nations, more commonly known as GUN, the commander was in the control room, sitting in his chair.

"Strange. For some reason, Shadow has yet to return. Something's wrong." the Commander spoke to himself.

"Commander!" a soldier exclaimed as he entered the room, panting heavily.

"What is it soldier?" the Commander asked.

"We have... obtained... classified information... from Future City." the soldier panted.

"How classified?"

"The highest level." The soldier holds up a chip to the Commander. "This contains info on a project that was going on right under us. This is very dangerous stuff that is shown on this chip."

"That is highly impossible, soldier." the Commander replied.

"But it's true!" the solider replied. "Here, let me show you!"

* * *

The twin hedgehog arrived at the City of Water, Soleanna, and Shine was looking around in awe of the city.

"This is amazing!" Shine exclaimed, acting like a child. "The water is completely beatufiul, the buildings are pure white, which is great, and the city even has a castle!! This place…" Shine was interrupted when his brother smacked him upside the head.

"We're not here for sightseeing, Shine." Havoc told him. "We're here to get some money quickly, and then get out of here."

"Can't we stay here for a while?" Shine asked. "This place is very beatiful, and I really want to have fun and admire..." The pure white hedgehog was interrupted when Havoc grabbed his ear hard, a dark, angry expression on his face.

"Do you remember what we are? Do you remember what happened earlier this year?" Havoc asked with a small growl. "For all we could know, there could be someone right on our tail! And I, for one, don't want to take chances!"

"You're being paranoid, brother." Shine replied, trying to break free from his brother's grip. "No one outside of it knew about it! No one's after us..." Shine was interrupted when Havoc got right in his face.

"Let me tell you something, brother. True, no one knew about it then, but now, considering what's happened, it's only a matter of time before someone finds out. Someone could be chasing us right at this moment. I'm trying to be safe and keep our lives intact. I don't want to take risks. Do you understand?" Shine nodded meekly, and Havoc let go of his ear. "Listen, what I'm doing is for your own good. I'm not going to have us die for someone else's selfish desires..." Havoc turned around as he continued his speech to Shine.

Shine was already bored and wasn't listening to his brother. He looked at his surroundings, trying to find something of interest to him. He took notice to several children gathered around a building. They seemed to be bored and very depressed at the moment. Shine hated seeing that, and realized he needed to do something about it. Making sure his brother didn't notice, he snuck away and walked to the children. They looked at him with confused looks, and he responded by smiling at them.

"Want to see something cool?" he asked them.

"...I don't want to be used for someone else's stupid plans for conquest. That's the last thing I want our fate to be: tools for another. You understand Shine?" Havoc turned around, only to find no one there. "Shine?" He then heard some commotion to his right, and turned his head. His eyes widened in his shock. "...Oh no."

The children were cheering in happiness as Shine continued to juggle some apples in perfect sync. The kids would throw more apples to him, and he would juggle them along with the others he had. Some other people were interested, and also came to watch him as well.

"Want to see something even cooler?" Shine asked them.

The children nodded eagerly, and then, one by one, he began to throw the apples in the air. Then in a flash of light, a bow appeared in his hand and arrows appeared on his back. He carried these because Havoc made him to, but he just uses them for entertainment.

He began shooting arrows at the apples, and each one pierced an apple in the center. One even pierced two apples at once. Shine then aimed an arrow, and shot it. It bounced off a wall and struck an apple dead on. All the apples fell down to the ground, a hole in each one, right in the middle of them. During his show, more people saw his skills, and soon a crowd had amassed, and they all clapped greatly for the white hedgehog as he smiled happily at them.

"If you all liked that, then I have..." Shine was interuppted when Havoc took a hold of his arm with a hard grip, and began pulling him away from the crowd.

Havoc was beyond furious. He just went through a whole speech of how careful they had to be, and Shine had just blown it off and attracted a whole crowd of attention to them. Havoc continued to drag his brother away until he entered an alley so no one could see them. He let go of Shine, who was pouting at what his brother did.

"Why did you do that, Havoc?" Shine whined. "I was having so much fun, and everyone was so happy at what I was doing. Why did you..." Shine stopped talking when Havoc grabbed a hold of his collar and pulled him closer so they were up close.

"What...the hell...were you...think... you were doing?" Havoc said slowly, anger evident in his voice. Shine immediately got scared by him, and Havoc continued. "Do you have any idea what you were doing? Didn't you listen to what I say? The last think we need is to attract attention! We need to stay safe! Do you want to live or be used for someone else's desires?!"

"I-I...I just..." Shine stammered, unable to get any words any words through his mouth.

"Uh! It's always the same with you!" Havoc exclaimed as he pushed his brother away. "You always have to go out there and make everyone happy, acting like a total idiot! You never give a damn about what may happen to us, and would throw our lives away as long as it makes you happy! You're just a happy idiot who doesn't know the predicament we're in! I rather be brothers to a monkey than to be your brother!"

Shine was literally in tears at this point. His brother had said a lot of hurtful things to him. But then, something snapped inside of him. Anger arose along with the sadness, and he finally had enough.

"You're no better!" he snapped at Havoc, who was generally surpised by the outburst. "You're completely selfish! All you care about is money and saving you're own skin! So what if I attract attention?! I don't care!! No one's after us, Havoc! No one knows who we really are! I'm sick and tired of you calling me names and insulting me all the time! It hurts my feelings! You say you don't want me as a brother?! Then fine! We're not brothers, no more!! So now, you don't have to deal with me! Happy now!" Shien then ran out of the alley and towards the forest, leaving his brother in shock.

Havoc felt something in his chest growing. It was cold, unpleasant, and tightening to him. He knew what it was: guilt.

* * *

Shine continued to run across the city, tears flowing down his face. He soon exited the city, and was now heading through the forest from which he came from. He was pushing away bushes and branches as he continued to run away from the city, wiping away the tears.

"If Havoc doesn't want me to be his brother, then that's fine." Shine sniffled. "He'll be happy that I'm gone. I bet he's celebrating right now. Well I don't need him. I can get by just fine without..."

Shine tripped on a root and fell face down onto the dirt. He raised his head, his face covered in dirt and tears. He wasn't sure anything could cure his sadness. But then...

"Huh? What's this?"

Shine had noticed something on the ground in front of him. It was a bright-yellow gem, glowing with a bright light. Shine was entranced by it immediately. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. He took a hold of it, and stood up on his feet. He brushed off any dirt that was on it, admiring its beauty.

"So beautiful." Shine muttered. "I've never seen anything like this. I wonder if someone dropped it."

Shine looked around the forest, trying to see if anyone else was here. But while he was doing so, he failed to notice the white aura around his arms. The aura made contact with the gem, and it began to glow brightly. Shine took notice, and was immediately taken back. The gem glowed brighter as it nearly engulfed the white hedgehog.

"What the...?! What's going on?! What's happe-" Shine was cut off as a flash of light engulfed him completely. When it died down, Shine was no longer there...

* * *

Havoc leaned on the rail of a bridge, overlooking the rivers in Soleanna. He looked down to the water, seeing his own reflection, which showed the sadness apparent on his face.

"Man, I can't believe what I just did." Havoc said to himself. "I can't believe what an idiot I was. Now who knows where Shine is."

Now Havoc was selfish, but he deeply cared for his brother, and always thought about their safety.

"What am I going to do now? I could look for him, but that could take forever, and he's probably lone gone by now. Oh damn, what am I going to do?!"

Havoc slammed his fists down on the rail, frustration, sadness, and guilt overwhelming him. A lone tear escaped from him and streamed down his face, wondering where his brother could be at this very moment.

* * *

The Commander's eyes widened to the fullest at what he was seeing on the screen. After a few minutes of shock, he turned towards the soldier.

"Is this information true?" the Commander asked.

"I'm afraid so." the soldier said grimly. "This project had been worked on for months, and we had no idea it was happening. This is dangerous stuff that was worked on."

"Does anyone else know?" the Commander questioned.

"In GUN, only you, me, and those who had discovered the information. But outside GUN, we have no idea if anyone else knows about this project." the soldier informed him.

"My God..." the Commander mumbled, brushing his fingers through his hair.

But unknown to them, the fox from the GUN Labs, stood outisde the control room, listening to the entire conversation.

_"Seems they found out about it quicker than I expected." _he though to himself. _"I'm going to have to foward my plans faster than intended."_

The fox left back to his labs, the Commander and the soldier never knowing his presence.

"What are you going to do about this, sir?" the soldier asked.

"Normally, I would send Shadow for this type of mission, but he's beeen gone for a while, and I've been unable to contact him." the Commander stated. "Seems there's only one other person that is capable of handling this job." He turned back to the soldier, who straightened his posture immediately.

"Get me Asui Hikaru."

* * *

Back in Station Square, the male human had exited the apartment he was staying. He walked outside, and stood on the steps. He looked up to the sky, his expression unreadable to anyone who would look at him at that moment.

"Soon, everyone will fear me. Soon I will prove how better than everyone else I am." he said himself. "Soon, I will have the Gaia Twins within my grasp."

**The bond between two brothers is in jeapordy as the evil plots began to get underway. What has happened to Shine? Will Havoc be able to repair the damages between them? And who are the Gaia Twins? Find out in the next Heaven and Hell.**


	11. Yin of Life

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Yin of Life

Above the magnificent skies, over the peaceful ocean, against all odds there was a floating island, high above in skies. Luscious life filled every inch of this island, tropical jungles all over it. Large mountain could easily be seen on the island, standing easily taller than anything else on it, and beautiful rivers flowed through it, ending into glimmering lakes. A true paradise for all.

A flash of light popped up high above the island, and Shine appeared in its place, holding the gem in his hands. He was dazed for a few moments, looking around his surroundings as a few ducks passed him by, quacking the whole way. He then realized where he was, and looked down to see the island way down below.

"Uh oh." Shine muttered. He then fell sharply down to the island at a fast rate.

He screamed at the top of his lungs as he fell down to the island. When he reached the island, he landed in a tree. His head struck a branch, the smack heard for miles. He fell off of it from the rebound, only for him to hit another branch on his stomach. This continued a few more times, several areas dropping on the branches, including one very "sensitive" area. Finally, Shine fell to the ground, his fall being broken by a pile of leaves. He stood on his knees, rubbing his hand over his head in pain.

"Oh man..." Shine groaned, standing up to his feet, rubbing his body all over, trying to sooth the pain. "Why did that happen to me? I'm a nice person, aren't I?" He looked at his surroundings. "And where am I?"

He studied his surroundings, noting that this wasn't a place he had been to before. He put the gem away, decided to explore a little, and took a left. He pushed through the branches, leaves, and plants as he made his way through the jungle. As he walked, he began to turn his attention to the jungle around him, admiring all the beautfiul plants and wildlife that was there.

"Amazing..." Shine spoke. "I never seen something as beautiful as this before. I have to find out where I am! Man, what an exotic plant that is! And those trees are simply pretty! I'm loving this place already! I mean..."

He couldn't finish his sentence as, during his compliments to the jungle, he failed to notice where he was going. He came to the edge of the island, and nearly walked off of it. He was now standing on the edge, trying to regain his balance as he stared right down into the ocean several thousand feet below. His eyes widened at the sight, and he panicked as he fell backwards onto his back and to safety. He panted a little at what had just happened.

"What the...?" he gasped. "The land...has an edge? And below...is the ocean? It looks like its way below..." Shine thought for a moment. "That means...is this...some piece of land...high in the air...?" Shine was silent, eye's dilated at the thought. "I don't want to know."

Shine stood up, turned around, and walked back the way he came. He didn't want to even consider the fact that he was in the sky at the moment. He just kept going the way he chose to go now. For 20 minutes, he passed through the jungle and the island, occassionally spending some time with the wildlife on the island. He eventually came out of the jungle and entered a field.

"Where am I?" Shine questioned. "This place is amazing, but I never thought that such a place could exist."

Shine continued to walk, trying to figure out what his location was when he arrived at something. He looked up and was once again in awe at the sight before him. It was a giant circular shrine standing several stories tall, seven stone columns at the platform on the top, and stairs that led all the way to the very top, like a temple would have.

"Wow..." Was all Shine could say at the sight. He was so entranced by the sight, that he began to walk up the stairs, curious as to what was at the top.

He couldn't help himself, as he was curious about many things, especially amazing sights. After a few minutes of walking up the stairs, he eventually reached the top, and was astonished at what he saw. In the center of the platform was large emerald gem, similar to structure of the gem he had but was a several times larger. It stood in the middle of the platform, shimmerign brightly. Shine was completely in awe of it. He was so entranced that he began to walk towards until he was right in front of it. He held out his hands so he could touch it when...

"What are you doing?" a voice shouted next to him.

He turned his head to see who was shouting at him. It was a cherry-red echidna with seven dreadlock quills reaching to his shoulders, and had violet amethyst eyes. He wore red shoes with yellow straps, and metal pads on the top, and also wore white compact gloves with spiked knuckles, two on each one and a white crescent moon birthmakr on his chest. He was staring right at Shine, somewhat angry and confused.

"What are you doing with the Master Emerald?" he asked. He suddenly had a looked of realization, which suddenly turned into anger. "You're trying to steal the Master Emerald!"

"What?" Shine exclaimed. "I would never do that! I'm not like that! I don't even know what this! How could you..."

Shine was interrupted as the echidna threw a punch at him. The hedgehog ducked in order to avoid it and moved to the side as the echidna glared at him.

"Oh no! I've been fooled too many times, and I'm falling for it this time! You're here for the Master Emerald, and I'm not going to let you steal it!" the echidna proclaimed.

It was obvious that the echidna was convinced that he was some sort of thief here to the giant gem he called the "Master Emerald." Add the fact that he had no close combat skills whatsoever and was a complete pacifist and refused to fight, what's the one thing you can do?

...Shine turned around and ran down the stairs as fast as he could.

"You're not getting away that easily!" the echidna exclaimed.

He followed Shine down the stairs down the stairs, and the chase was on. Shine ran as fast as he could as feet could allow, but halfway down the stairs, he tripped on one of the steps, and he fell down the stairs. He rolled down the rest of the way, ending him with his back on the ground, groaning in pain.

"Ooohhh..." Shine moaned. His eyes were all out of focus, but he saw something jump in the air and come down towards him. His eyes refocused just in time to see the red echidna come down towards him, fist aimed for him. Panicking, he reacted on instinct and rolled out of the way as the echidna's fist made contact with the ground, going deep into the earth, cracking it. Shine's eyes widened at the sight as the echidna pulled his fist out from the ground.

"You're not going to steal the Master Emerald!" he once again proclaimed.

"I'm not here to steal it! I came her by accident! I don't even know where I am!" Shine told him.

"Nice try, but you ain't fooling me!" the echidna replied.

How dense was this echidna? Shine was giving his word that he wasn't here to steal the Emerald, that he didn't even know where he was, but this echidna was convinced he was some sort of thief. The only thing he could do was avoid the echidna's strikes, and that's what he did. The echidna began throwing powerful punches, but the speed factor was clearly in Shine's favor as he was able to dodge each of the echidna's punches. He threw a haymaker, and Shine backed away in response. The echidna took the opportunity to use his other hand to grab the hedgehog by the scarf and lift him into the air, leaving him defenseless.

Shine's eyes widened at what had happened as the echidna reeled his fist back. He closed his eyes as he waited for the inevitable blow when...

"Knuckles, stop!" a female voice pleaded.

Shine opened his eyes as he and the echidna turned towards the source of the voice. It was a light orange female echidna with seven shoulder length dreadlock quills, and ocean blue eyes. She wore a jade necklace and an ancient tribal dress. She also wore orange boots with white straps around it, two golden rings around each arm, white gloves, and blue bracelets. The last touch was the golden tiara she wore around her forehead.

"Knuckles, what are you doing?" she asked the echidna.

"I'm stopping a thief from stealing the Master Emerald, that's what I'm doing." the one called Knuckles replied.

"Does he really look like a thief?" the female echidna asked him. "I watched the whole incident, and I can tell he's not here to steal anything. I can tell that he can't even fight. Look at him, and tell me if he is truly a thief?"

Knuckles turned his head to take a good look at Shine, not to see a greedy thief, but someone who was scared out of his mind and acted like a little kid to him. Knuckles immediately let go of Shine and let him drop to the ground. He held his head down in shame.

"I'm sorry I tried to hurt you. I jumped to conclusions too fast. I now realize you meant now harm." Knuckles told him.

"It's alright, but did you have to resort to violence? There are other things to do than fight." Shine told him.

Knuckles raised an eyebrow. "You don't like to fight?"

"No. I am pacifist, as they like to call people like me. I really hate fighting. All it does is destroy beautiful things like this island. It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen in my life. Why aren't all places in the world like this?" Shine asked.

"I don't know." Knuckles shrugged. "I guess it's how the world is in this time."

"Hmmm. Hey, what is this island?" Shine asked him.

"Angel Island." Knuckles answered. "It's an island floating in the sky high above the ground." Shine was surprised to hear that. "Hey, how did you get here anyway?"

"It was this thing." Shine pulled out the gem he had acquired earlier. "I found this gem in the forest outside Soleanna a while ago, and all of a sudden it glowed brightly, and next thing you know, I wind up here."

Knuckles' eyes widened at the sight of the gem. _"That's a Chaos Emerald! No wonder he got here, but how did he find it?"_

"Can you get use it to get back to where you came from? I'm sure someone is wondering where you are." the female echidna told him.

The smile on Shine's face disappeared as thought of Havoc popped up in his mind. "I don't know how to use this to get back. Besides, I don't want to go back. No one cares about me, and I have nowhere to go."

"Oh, that's so sad." the echidna said. An idea suddenly came to her. "Knuckles! Can he stay here with us?"

"What?" he exclaimed.

"Please. He's all alone, and he's need to somewhere to stay. I'm sure it won't be too much to let him stay here for a while." the echidna told him.

Knuckles grumbled a little before answering. "Alright, he can stay."

"Great." the echidna girl smiled. She turned to Shine. "By the way, my name is Tikal, and this is Knuckles."

"Thanks for letting me stay here. My name is Shine. Nice to meet you." Shine smiled back.

Tikal giggled a little before extending her hand to him. Shine gladly took it, feeling that he would like staying here.

* * *

Back at GUN HQ, in the control room, we see the Commander sitting in his chair, but he was joined by a new character.

Standing before the Commander was a light blue female cat with green hair, curly and reaching to her back, and violet eyes similar to Knuckles'. She wore a white shirt along with a black jacket, blue stripes running along the sides, tight red pants, small white diamond patterns adorning it, white gloves with violet stripes, and blue/green shoes with violet straps. She also wore white sunglasses over her ears, a belt which contained two Desert Eagles guns, and had a bo staff strapped to her back. The last touch to her was the three necklaces she wore around her neck: one was a jewel necklace, one was an emerald necklace, and one was a jewel necklace.

"Captain Asui Hikaru..." the Commander spoke. "You realize the task that you have been assigned to."

"Yes sir. I fully understand." the cat replied.

"Good. With Shadow gone for an unknown reason, you are the only one I can rely on, since you have the greatest success rate of missions in the past ten years of GUN. Here..." He handed her a paper filled with information on her targets. "These are descriptions on those you need to find. There are not full details, but they depict just enough so you can identify. And you are not to speak of this to anyone, even those of GUN."

"Yes sir!" Asui saluted. "I will not let you down, Commander!" She turned around and left towards the door.

"Don't fail me, Asui. The fate of the world could depend on how this mission goes." he said as she walked out the door.

At the moment the door closed, Asui celebrated. "YES! Finally, a classified mission worthy of S-Rank status. If I complete this mission, I'll be promoted, and I'll be one step closer to becoming GUN Commander!"

"Asui, how are you doing today?" a voice said.

She turned her head to see the fox from the GUN Labs coming up to her with a kind smile on his face. A frown appeared on Asui's face instantly.

"Hey Cyrus." Asui replied.

Cyrus Tech the Fox is the greatest mind in the world and arguably the most successful GUN agent in history. He rose up to become the youngest GUN Colonel in history, and followed it with becoming the youngest GUN Ops Head in history as well. He also became head of GUN Lab, helping create many of the military's technologies with his great genius. He was a primie example of everthing GUN wants, and was a very kind, caring person to all, earning him great respect. But despite this, there was something about off about Cyrus that bugged Asui. She didn't know what it was, but there just was just something about him that she didn't like, which was why she always stayed away from him.

"What are you doing today?" Cyrus asked, catching a glimpse of the paper in her hand.

"None of your business." Asui stated coldly, quickly hiding the paper. She did not trust him one bit.

"Did the Commander give you a mission?" the fox asked.

"Yes, but I don't need to tell you what it is." Asui spat. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to add yet another successful mission to my resume!"

Asui then shoved past Cyrus and walked away. Cyrus looked at her fleeting image, still smiling, but was thinking very different thoughts.

_"The Commander has already given her the assignment. I don't have much time. I need to have my subordinates speed up their search for those two if I want to get to them before anyone else. I cannot let GUN or anyone else use them for their own purposes. They are too valuable to let escape from my grasp. Asui, you are smart not to trust me, but it will be too late for you to do anything when the time comes."_

Cyrus then turned around and left for the GUN Labs.

* * *

Back at Angel Island, Tikal and Shine were conversing near the Master Emerald while Knuckles sat on the steps with his eyes closed.

"Wow! So you're a pacifist too?" Shine asked delightedly.

"Yes." Tikal nodded. "I have always believe violence is never the solution to things. I always wanted to have peace fo everything. Anger and fear just bring forth destruction to everything, and I don't want that at all."

"Yeah, me too." he agreed. "I really love nature, peace, and all that. It's who I am. I would never lift a finger a fight. I have a bow and arrow, but that's just for entertainment. I just want to make people happy. I like seeing people's smile all the time. Makes me happy as well. I would always try to avoid fights, and try to be friends with everyone."

"I respect and enjoy that about you." she smiled warmly at him. Shine slightly blushed from the comment. "But..." Her head fell down. "I guess the peaceful solution doesn't work all the time."

"What do you mean?" Shine questioned.

"She's not alive." Knuckles spoke suddenly. Shine turned to him in shock. "She's been dead for 4000 years."

"But she's here right now!" Shine retorted.

"She's just a spirit. She's inhabited the Master Emerald, and is taking a visible form before us." Knuckles explained.

"It's true. 4000 years ago, my father wanted to use the power of the Chaos and Master Emeralds for conquest. I pleaded with him not to do it so many times, but he wouldn't listen to me. He assaulted the shrine you see and tried to take it, angering Chaos. I had no choice byt to sacrifice myself to stop Chaos from destroying the land." Tikal explained.

"Chaos?" Shine asked.

Just then, a puddle emerged from behind Shine, and it began to form into a creature. It was a blue, aquatic humanoid creature with claws for his hands and feets, green bulbous eyes, a pointed head, two strands down from the back of its head, and a visible brain from within its body. It walked over to Shine. The hedgehog turned to be greet by the sight of it, and screamed in fear in response.

"Don't be afraid." Tikal assured him. "This is Chaos. He was the guardian of the Master Emerald. He is very kind and gentle, but my father angered him greatly, and he destroyed nearly the whole tribe and almost obliterated the land. I had to give up my life to stop him from doing so...All of it could've been avoided if my father had just listened to me."

Shine really hated seeing people sad, so it broke his heart to see Tikal like this. He wished he could something for her that would make her happy. He just wanted to see people happy, never sad. He then thought of something, and he stuck with it.

"I know! I'll bring you back to life!" Shine proclaimed.

All was silent as the words of Shine rang through their ears. Tikal looked at Shine in shock, even Knuckles turned his head to stare at Shine.

"W-what...?" Tikal stammered.

"How are you going to do that?" Knuckles asked. "I don't think it's even possible to do that."

"I really don't know how I'm going to really." Shine admitted. "But I promise you I will find a way. I really hate people being sad, and it hurts me to see someone like you sad. I want to help you in some way. I can't change the past I know that, but I know I can give you a body again. I swear I'll find a way." He smiled warmly at her.

Tikal couldn't help but smile back at him. "Thank you very much."

Shine laughed a bit, and Knuckles smiled as well. Chaos looked at Shine, thoughts running through his head.

_"Shine...What an interesting character. Even though its impossible, he's going to try and bring Tikal back to life. He really does want to try...But there's something about him that's just not right. I feel soemthing from him...Something powerful...Something dangerous."_

* * *

"What do you want Eggman?" Metal asked.

"Metal Sonic, I have decided to send you out to look for the Gaia Twins." Eggman told him.

"That comes as no surpise to me, but I can tell that's not the only thing you wanted to tell me." Metal replied.

"Correct." Eggman pulls out a circular red and black device with several buttons and a screen. "I've created this tracker to help you in this search." He also pulls out a glowing dark scale. "This was stuck on the Eggmobile." He presses a button and a compartment opens in the tracker. "Insert this scale..." He puts the scale into the compartment. "And the tracker will locate energies within the scale identical or similar to it around the world. One of my finer creations I believe."

Metal took the tracker as it began to scan the energy on the scale. The tracker zoomed out on its radar map and located two different energy signals, one white and one black.

"Oh, this is interesting. I thought for sure they would be together." Eggman said. "It makes no difference anyway. You'll be able to capture them anyway, though it will take longer. It is your choice who to go after first."

"I'll be sure to capture them, Dr. Eggman." Metal replied. He turned around and left the doctor.

As soon as he was out of hearing range, he spoke again.

"And I'll be sure to use them for my own gains, you senile old fool."

**Promises from good, and betrayals from evil lurk around this mystery. Will Shine be able to keep his promise to Tikal? What is it about Shine that Chaos finds dangerous? And who will Asui and Metal find in their quest for these Gaia Twins? Find out in the next chapter of Heaven and Hell.**


	12. Yang of Death

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

OCs © Respective Authors

Yang of Death

Within the City of Water, Soleanna, among all the majestic, pure white buildings and the beautiful flowing canals that went through the city, people were going on with their lives. Whether it was taking a walk, going on a date, hanging out with a friend, or having a nice lunch with others, everyone was content here today. Well...almost everyone.

"Damn it." Havoc sighed.

Havoc was leaning on a building, his hand over his face in frustration. He had spent almost two hours trying to find out where his brother went, but had come up short every time. But he wasn't angry at Shine for running away. No, he was angry at himself...for making Shine do so.

"It's all my fault." Havoc thought, rubbing his head in frustration. "If I hadn't been such a jerk to him, he wouldn't have even thought of running away to who knows where! I'm such an idiot!" He slammed his free hand into the building. "I was only thinking of our safety! I was making sure we stayed alive! Boy, did I mess up big time."

As he was sulking over the bad decisions he made, he felt the glove on his head starting to get wet. Curious, he took his hand off his head, and took a look at his glove. It was partially wet, and then he felt something wet also rolling down his forehead.

"Sweat." Havoc deduced. "Why the hell am I sweating? It's nowhere near hot outside. Why is this..." He quickly shook his head. "No, got to stay focused. Have to find Shine. I'll worry about this later."

He looked around him, and saw a random elderly man dressed in white passsing by him. "Hey, old man!" Havoc said rudely; the elder looked back towards the hedgehog. "Have you seen a pure white hedgehog lately? Wears a scarf around his neck, along with a necklace like mine except its Yang."

"Hmm, I did." he replied; Havoc's eyes widened. "I remember seeing one of your description running towards the forest. He was awfully upset, seeing as how he was crying tears!"

"Thank you!" Havoc said gratefully. "Thank you so much! I got to find him!"

He pushed past the man, his mind focused on finding his brother and setting things right. Little did he know, the sweat on his forehead was starting to increase.

* * *

The wind blew right across her face harshly as Asui rode on her motorcycle at high speeds, sunglasses over her eyes and a determined look on her face.

_"I will not fail!" _she thought. _"There is too much riding on this mission! I will not fail at this when so much is on the line!"_

She gripped the handles on her motorcycle harder as she sped up even faster. Eventually, a city came up in her sights, and she headed straight towards it. She braked her motorcycle right in front of the city, coming to a screeching halt. Asui took a good look at it.

"Soleanna." she stated to herself. "The City of Water. Nice place. Always wanted to visit this city. Maybe I can get some information on my targets here."

She kicked up the kickstand and parked her motorcycle, standing up from the bike. Just as she was about to enter the city, Havoc came rushing out of the City of Water. Asui had no time to react as the hedgehog pushed right past her, knocking her right down to the ground on her butt.

"Sorry!" Havoc yelled to her. "But I don't have time to deal with you!" He ran straight into the Soleanna Forest, leaving a seething Asui behind. She was ready to explode with anger until his image came to her mind. His appearance felt familiar to her for some particular reason. Realization dawned on her, and her anger to shock and then satisfaction. She kipped up back to her feet and followed Havoc into the forest.

* * *

Havoc pushed away all the branches and bushes that stood in his way, not letting stop him as he pushed deeper into the forest.

"Shine!" Havoc called out to the forest. "Where are you? If you can hear me, then please know I'm sorry about what I said! I shouldn't have said any of that stuff! Please forgive me!"

Several seconds passed by, and no response came. Havoc was starting to get desperate and continued on foward, but he was getting slower and sluggish.

"What the hell is happening to me?" he growled, realizing what was happening to him. "I'm getting tired for absolutely no reason. I haven't exerted that much energy." He tried to continue moving foward, but suddenly his body became heavier and he was forced onto his hands and knees, sweating pouring down his body. "What's going on? This never happens. The only time this ever happened to me was when..." He trailed off as realization dawned on him. "Oh no. It can't be. Not now of all times!"

"Hold it right there!" a feminine voice shouted. Havoc turned his head to see Asui Hikaru standing right behind him, eyes directly at him.

"Hmm, he seems to fit the description." Asui muttered to herself, eyes examining him. "All right! I am Asui Hikaru, Captain of GUN! I am here to take you back to our HQ for questioning. However, if you refuse or try to resist..." She pulled out one of her Desert Eagles swiftly and pointed the varrel at Havoc. "I'll have to use force."

"GUN?" Havoc muttered; a scowl appeared on his face. "Damn. They must have found out. I was right all along." He began struggling, slowly standing up. "I've got to lose this girl before I..." He couldn't finish his sentence as unbelievable pain coursed through his body. He screamed in agony as he once again was forced onto his knees, holding his body in pain.

"What the...!" Asui exclaimed, shocked by this sudden occurence. "Are you all right?" She tried to get closer to help him, but the purple hedgehog threw a hand out to stop her.

"No! Stay back!" he warned her through clenched teeth. "Don't come any closer."

"What do you mean?" Asui asked, clearly confused. "You're in pain. I can't have you like this when I take..." She trailed off when she saw a dark aura surrounding the hedgehog. The cold cat was taken back. "What the hell...?"

"Damn it..." Havoc muttered; the red markings over his eyes slowly started to grow all over his body. "I can't hold it back any longer." He turned his head towards Asui; the markings have already covered his entire body. "Please...run...run...RUN!"

At that precise moment, the dark aura around him exploded into a geyser of pure darkness as he screamed in agony, shooting straight into the sky and engulfing Havoc. The blast wave threw Asui off her feet and into a tree. She landed on the ground in pain as the screaming continued. She opened her eyes and was forced to watch this event unfold before her eyes. A few more moments passed and the screaming stopped. The geyser dissipitated, and Havoc was revealed. Asui's eyes widened at the sight of him.

It was Havoc...but it wasn't Havoc. His fur had turned pitch-black, along with the streaks on his quills turning purple. The quills had grown long and wild, sticking out in all directions. He had grown razor sharp claws on both his hands and feets, his gloves and shoes both torn in the process, and his teeth had grown as sharp as a shark's. Spike were potruding from his shoulders, elbows, and knees, and red markings littered his body completely. His body was bent foward, his head held downwards, covered from sight.

"What the hell...?" Asui grunted as she stood up slowly. "What the hell happened to him?" She took one step foward, but the moment her foot touched the ground, it triggered something.

Havoc's head shot his head up towards Asui, whose heart was grappled with fear upon sight. His eyes had lost the pupils, and his irises only remained, leaving only an endless white in his eyes. With an animalistic growl, he reached to his back, and in a flash of light, pulled out two long, sharp steel broadswords. But that wasn't all. As he brought them into the air, a large rift several stories high opened up behind him, as if cutting the air, and out of it, came thousands of weapons of every kind.

"W-what the hell?" Asui stammered, scared at this sight.

Havoc slammed his broadswords down to the ground, and on command, the weapons shot foward out of the rift, forming into a tornado...and heading straight towards Asui.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Asui cursed.

Reacting, Asui jumped to the left as the tornado of weapons shot past her, cutting down all trees in the way. But there was no time to breathe as the weapons tornado swung around and once again towards the GUN Captain. Thinking quickly, she jumped over the tornado and into the air. In mid-air, she thrusted her hands towards the passing tornado, concentrating. Soon enough, powerful icicles erupted from within, shattering the tornado and scattering the weapons all over the area.

"Asui, you are one smart cat!" she smirked to herself, landing on her feet.

But as soon as she landed on her feet, the transformed Havoc appeared in front of her, and stabbed his broadswords at her. Reacting on instinct, she bent her body backwards as the blades passed over her. Asui backflipped away as he pulled his broadswords back.

"What the hell are you?" Asui demanded.

Havoc just roared as he dashed towards Asui. He slammed one of broadswords down on her, and she rolled out of the way as it struck the ground. He swung his second broadsword for her neckline, but she jumped back from the strike. She pulled out her two Desert Eagles and unloaded them on Havoc. He swiftly brought his two broadswords up to block the incoming bullets. The moment she stopped firing, Havoc raised his broadswords and slammed them down on the ground. The impact caused the ground to shatter right towards Asui. The GUN Captain backflipped into the air as the quak came her way.

"What else can this guy do?" she screamed.

She landed on a tree branch, but when she looked, Havoc was no longer there.

"Where the hell did that bastard go!" Asui demanded, looking around.

Unknown to her, a rift opened up behind her, and a razor sharp claw slashed her back. Asui screamed in pain as the claws tore through the jacket and into her skin. She was forced off the branch and fell to the ground. She slowly stood on her hands and knees, four claw marks visible on her back. She turned her head back to the branch, and saw the rift behind it, the transformed Havoc seen within it.

"What else can you do?" Asui grunted through the pain.

Havoc gave an animalistic growl as he jumped out of the rift and onto the top of a nearby tree. Summoning his two broadswords, he pointed them towards the sky, their tips touching each other. Dark energy surrounded the blades, and began gathering at the tips. Soon enough, the energy formed into a ball of darkness at the tips. All of a sudden, dark energy blasts shot out of the ball and began raining down on Asui.

"That was a rhetorical question!" Asui screamed.

Asui flipped out of the way as a energy blast struck the ground. She rolled out of the way of another, but one struck near her and threw her off her feet. She rolled back up to a standing position, and saw several dark energy blasts heading down her way. Thinking quickly, she pointed her guns to the sky and fired several bullets, each one striking the blasts, destroying them. But as she destroyed the last one, another came out of nowhere and blasted right near, blowing her away as she landed on her back, causing added pain.

"Damn it!" Asui hissed, kipping back to her feet. "I can't avoid and destroy them all!"

Suddenly, inspiration dawned on her. She held out her hands as she closed her eyes. The temperature around her began to drop, and soon enough, a wall of ice began to build up around her. And just in time, as the blasts came in to attack her. The ice took the full impact as it continued to build around her, until a dome of ice had completely encased her. The energy blasts began to rain down on the dome of ice, trying to break through it to Asui. The GUN Captain struggled to keep the dome intact as she kept building up ice. The impacts continued for a while, until suddenly...they ceased.

"What?" Asui gasped. "It stopped." Asui remained silent for a while. "Did he give up?"

...Nothing is ever that easy. Just as those words left her mouth, a fist broke through the ice dome and struck her gut hard. Asui gasped out in pain as she coughed up blood, dropping one of her guns. Havoc tore through the dome as he delivered kick to her chin, causing her to start to go up. Havoc never let her have the chance as he grabbed her head and slammed her body into the ground; an imprint of her body was left on it. She lifted the near lifeless body of Asui into the air, and threw her as hard as he could. She crashed through four straight trees before she finally stopped at the fifth one. She slid down the tree and into a sitting position, too weak to even stand as blood seeped through her mouth. A hand grabbed her throat as she was lifted off the ground and up against the tree. Havoc snarled at her as he held one of his broadswords in his other hand.

Asui gathered enough strength to lift her head to face him. "Wow...I'm impressed." Asui breathed out. "You really...do have...the power of a god." Havoc growled in response, raising his broadsword. "But even so...your body...is still...mortal."

Havoc swung his broadsword down on Asui, ready to end her life. But as it was millimeters from her face, a gunshot was heard. Havoc stopped his broadsword just at her face, a look of shock on his face... well, as close to shock as it can get. He slowly looked down, only to see Asui's remaining Desert Eagle pointed towards his body, smoke coming out of the barrel. Blood flowed out of his right side from the bullet wound in him. Havoc dropped his broadsword to the ground, unconsciouly letting go Asui. She dropped to the ground on her bottom as Havoc staggered back, instinctively holding his wound. Asui held up her gun towards Havoc and spoke these words.

"Here's a present...from the Ice Queen."

She fired three more shots at him, two imbedding in his shoulders, and one in his left side. Havoc roared in pain as he fell to the ground, blood pouring out of his wounds. The last of her strength spent, her hand fell to the ground and she fell limp.

"Forgive me...Commander." she breathed out. "I failed you."

She then passed out from her wounds as Havoc laid on the ground in pain. Blood profusely flowed from his wounds, and shock and blood loss had triggered Havoc's de-transformation. The markings began to dwindle back to his eye, and his features began to return to normal. Soon enough, he was back to his original form, barely conscious.

The last thing he saw before he passed out from blood loss was a figure coming into sight and standing there in shock.

* * *

Cyrus sat in front of his computer with in the labs, typing away as he continued his research. As he worked, one of the GUN Ops entered the lab and and walked up to Cyrus.

"What is it?" Cyrus asked, back turned and not bothering to stop typing.

"Sir, we have located one of the targets." the Ops replied; Cyrus promptly stopped typing. "The target we have located seems to be in Soleanna. For some reason, the other target is not with him. We will send a unit after him and..."

"I will go there as well." Cyrus spoke; the Ops looked in surprise. "If these Gaia Twins are as powerful as our info suggests, then a simple unit of GUN Ops will not be enough to take this one. Therefore, it is only logical that I go there myself to apprehend the target. I am fully confident that I will be able to bring him in."

"Yes, sir." the Ops replied. "But we have also learned that Captain Asui is there as well."

"Asui..." Cyrus spoke slowly. "She was always a wary one, always supsicious of my actions. I'll deal with her in my own special way. Go and assemble a force for me."

The GUN Ops left, leaving Cyrus all alone within the lab. Or so it would seem...

"I know you're there." he spoke. "I've known you were here the whole time."

"Smart fox." an emotionless voice spoke out. A figure appeared within the shadows of the lab. The shadows covered his identity, but he could be seen nonetheless. "Now I see part of why you've risen so quickly in the ranks of GUN."

"Who are you?" Cyrus asked.

"Straight to the point, are we?" the figure replied. "I'm sorry to say I can't reveal who I am. I can only tell you that your New World Order will not be able to work."

"So you know of my plan?" Cyrus questioned, eyes scanning the figure.

"Yes. We have kept an eye on you for quite some time." the figure explained. "We know of who you really are, and you're plans. And I am afraid to say that you will fail in the end."

"Very impressive that you figured out my plans, considering I have been so secretive and deceitful." Cyrus replied. "But why would you say that it would fail?"

"How ignorant." the figure said monotonously. "You tamper with the forces of nature through these...experiments, and attempt to harness the power of gods through the Twins. You believe that through chaos will come peace in your "New World Order," with you at control. How utterly foolish. You cannot harness the power which those two possess. It is too powerful for a mortal like you to control. And chaos will only lead to more chaos. Your New World Order will only be an illusion of peace. The people will rebel, and it will dissolve just as quickly as it was created."

"You are the foolish one." Cyrus replied, eyes colder than ever before. He turned his back to the figure. "You do not know what I can do. My plans are foolproof. When the time is right, I will create a New World Order, and the world will be mine. And the Gaia Twins will bring me one steop closer to that goal. One question..." He turned his head back to the figure. "Have you come to kill me?"

"No." the figure stated, no emotion behind it. "I have just come to tell you this: your plans are very close to conflicting with ours, and if they do, we will have no choice but to eliminate you. Our Master just thought we should give you a heads up before it is decided."

"How generous, but it is not neccesary." Cyrus said mockingly. "I am fully confident that you will not be able to stop me even if you tried. If you get in my way, I'll just eliminate you. Nothing can stop my New World Order."

The figure stared at Cyrus, and the GUN Colonel was able to get a glimpse of one of his eyes. It was a bright golden eye, which held no emotion whatseover, eeriely similar to Cyrus'.

"Very well." the figure stated, turning around. "One more thing, your New World Order is not the salvation this world needs. The true salvation...is Judgment."

The figure walked back into the depth of the shadows, disappearing from Cyrus' presence.

* * *

The first thing Havoc felt when he woke up was unbelievable pain. His entire body ached with immense agony. He also felt himself lying down on some soft surface. He slowly able to open his eyes, and found himself, not in the forest, but rather in some dark room. Several dim lights were scattered across the room, creating enough light to see. He found himself lying in some creaky, old bed. Several picture of unknown people hung around the room, and shelves of science equipment and books filled the room. Many tables could be seen with vials, beakers, and bottles of all kinds of substances and elements one could think of.

Havoc, trying to find out where he was, tried to sit up, but pain coursed through his body more, forcing him back down. He took a good look at his body, and saw that his torso and shoulder had been bandaged up.

"Don't move." a feminine voice told him. "You're still very hurt. You need more time to recover."

Havoc turned his head to the owner of the voice, and his eyes widened in response. It was a midnight blue lynx with dark pink colored eyes, the area under her eyes, the tips of her ears and the streaks going down her sides a lilac color. Her muzzle was a light pink color to match the floral necklace around her, lilies making the whole necklace. Her hair was long and straight, the two ends of her hair curved to go slightly upwards. On her forehead were a pair of goggles, the tint being a dark green and the straps being a white color. As for attire, she wore a plain old white lab coat with various pockets and pens within it, the coat being completely open. Under the coat, she wore a midnight blue and lilac long sleeved button up shirt with white cuffs, two lily cufflinks holding the cuffs together. Her skirt was a pink and white plaid color and the final touch was her pair of green and white sneakers.

"Who...are you?" Havoc asked.

"The name's Quimica the Lynx."

* * *

**A powerful and deadly transformation leads to even more questions. What had caused Havoc's transformation? Who was the mysterious figure that had faced Cyrus? And who is this Quimica the Lynx? Find out in the next Heaven and Hell.**

* * *

Hey, just want to tell you all something. My friend, Blue Kaous, is an amazing writer who is need of reviewers. If you are a fan of my stories, then you will love his even more. Check out Congregation of the Damned, and his newest story Violet Dreams! If you don't, Hell will be unleashed.


	13. Hunt for Power Part 1

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Hunt for Power, Part 1

The scenery begins at the Mystic Ruins, the once great civilazation of the Knuckles' tribe four thousand years ago. A few remnants from the echidna city remained, the ruins of the temples still standing. The area around the Mystic Ruins was a large grassy plateau with some buildings and trees. On one side of this plateau was a steep cliff into the ocean, and on the other side was a huge mountain with various caves. And walking through the plateau were five familiar figures.

"Come on, guys!" Sonic called out to the others. "We haven't got all day!"

"Easy for you to say." Hope panted, hands on his knees. "You can run faster than the speed of sound. The rest of us aren't so lucky."

"Plus, I have a freakin' wolf on my back!" Mina grunted, referring to Smash, who she was carrying on her back. "Damn it! Why can't you just walk? You're freakin' fast, we've all seen it! Walking should be no problem for you!"

""Can't...too tired...worn out." Smash muttered lazily.

"Lazy-ass." Mina muttered under her breath.

"Come on, can't you grow a spine?" Rena asked, floating around the plateau with apparent ease. "You need to really stop complaining so much, Mina! You just have to relax and have fun!"

"Don't say that to me when you're flying!" Mina snapped. "I'm doing the hard work carrying this slacker around, and you're floating around with minimal effort!"

"Hey, flying is no easy thing to do!" Rena retorted, turning around to face her. "Flying with magic takes years of practice to master, and takes much energy to do!"

"You're flying around as if though it's nothing to do!" Mina pointed out. "You're just making that up!"

"Then how about I show you how tough magic really is?" Rena suggested dangerously, the tip of her staff glowing dangerously.

"Oh, bring it on!" Mina shouted, immediately dropping Smash off her back and onto the ground hard, her hands being coated in green chaos energy.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Hope interjected, coming between the two girls. "Can't we just get along? There's no need for fighting."

"Hope, you're with me, right?" the sorceress asked, catching Hope off-guard. "You know how hard it is for me to mantain my flight!"

"You can't believe her, can you, Hope?" Mina questioned, Hope turning to her. "Look at her! She's floating around like it's nothing! She is obviously lying through her teeth! You're with me, aren't you?"

"I...uh...I mean...you know...oh man." Hope stammered, looking back and forth between the two ladies, sweat pouring down his forehead.

"Hey guys!" Sonic called out. They turned their heads towards the blue hero, who was seen at the base of a hill. "We're here! It's just past this point! Come on!"

The two ladies glared at each other for a few moments before huffing and turning away from each other, arms crossed over their chests. Hope looked shockingly between the two of them before sighing in hopelessness.

"Come on, let's catch up with Sonic." Hope muttered.

The ladies said nothing, just turning their direction towards the blue hero and walking towards. Hope sighed once more, rubbing his pulsing forehead as he followed closely behind. But he couldn't help but forget something.

"Uh...is anyone going to help me get up?" Smash asked lazily as he laid on the ground; not one of them turned around to help the slacking wolf. "Damn it."

"Check this out." Sonic grinned as they caught up with them. The group looked at the hill, seeing a set of stairs that led straight to the top. "Up at the top of this hill is what I wanted you to see. Come on, I'll show you."

The blue hedgehog ran right up the stairs, and Team Crystallix immediately followed him. When they reached the top of the hill with Sonic, they were quite surprised at what they saw.

On top of the hill was a small two-story house, very simple from one view from the outside. But one could also a long plane runway going from the house to the edge of the hill, two rows of of palm trees leading out to the ocean.

"Huh, never expected to see something like that all the way out here." Hope commented.

"I'm with you on that." Mina agreed. "Who would expect a nice simple place like this was all the way out here?"

"Thanks for...the help, guys." Smash remarked sarcastically, panting as he reached the to of the hill with the others. "You know, you could've..." He trailed off as he took notice of the house. "Uh, what is that place?"

"It must be the place Sonic wanted us to go to." Rena pointed, turning to the speedster. "Am I right?"

"Yeah, you are, Rena." Sonic chuckled. "Since you all were such a great help in my battle against Egg-head, I wanted you all to meet a good friend of mine, whose lives here in this workshop."

"Actually, me, Hope, and Smash helped." Rena corrected, smirking slightly towards Mina. "Mina just stood around and looked pretty while we did the work." The mongoose sent a death glare towards the fox in response to that statement.

"Hehehehe, why don't we go inside the house?" Hope chuckled nervously, hoping to avoid a fight.

"Alright, come on, guys." Sonic called, running to the house. The two females glared at each other a little longer before following Sonic, leaving Hope and Smash behind.

"What is wrong with those girls?" Hope asked, moaning over this. "Ever since Mina joined the team, she and Rena have been fighting. I don't even know why they're fighting."

"Dude, are you really that clueless?" Smash asked, earning Hope's attention. "Even I know why they're fighting all the time."

"Huh, you do?" Hope asked. "What are they fighting over? Please tell me!"

"I've never known a guy as dense about girls as you." Smash stated, following after the others, leaving Hope.

"Wait, what are they fighting over?" Hope asked, running after him. "Come on, help me out here!"

The hedgehog ran up to the others, who were standing right in front of the small house door. Sonic knocked on the door a few times lightly, and then proceeded to wait.

"You guys are going to like him." Sonic told them, a smile on his face. "He's one of the smartest people you could meet, and not only that, but he's got a real good heart as well." The door opened, and Sonic's smile grew wider. "Tails, long time, no see!"

The person Team Crystallix saw was the last person they would've expected. It was a male fox, no older than eight. The fox had yellow fur, and blue eyes similar to Hope's. He had three bangs sticking out of his forehead, and wore white gloves and red/white shoes. But the most interesting part of this person was that he two tails instead of one, each one tipped in white. This aspect intrigued the team as the fox smile brightly as he saw Sonic.

"Sonic!" he exclaimed, joy apparent in his voice.

"How's it going, buddy?" the hedgehog asked, holding his hand out for a high-five.

"Everything's going great, Sonic." the fox replied, high-fiving with pleasure. "I'm glad that you were able to visit." He then noticed Team Crystallix behind the blue hero. "Hey, Sonic, who are they?"

"Oh, these are my new friends." Sonic explained. "Guys, introduce yourselves."

"Name's Hope the Hedgehog." the hedgehog introduced.

"Rena the Fox, pleased to meet you." the cheery fox said with a smile.

"Smash the Wolf." the wolf said lazily.

"And I'm Mina Mongoose." Mina introuduced. "What's your name?"

"My name is Miles Prower, but everyone calls me Tails." the fox introduced himself. He then looked back at his twin tails. "You can probably see why they call me that."

"Tails, these guys helped me with stopping Eggman back at Station Square." Sonic explained. "I wanted to introduce you to them as some thanks. And guys..." He turned to the team. "Tails is my best friend. Like I said before, he's really smart and cool, and I just wanted you all to meet."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Tails." Hope stated with a smile. "Mind if we come in?"

"Not at all." Tails replied cheerfully. He led them all inside the house. "This is my workshop. This where I work on my inventions most of the time."

"You build things?" Rena asked curiously. "At your age?"

"Yeah, I'm really good with technology, especially with mechanics." Tails admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I've always been smart, despite my age. If I had to say, I can probably rival Eggman intellectually."

"Impressive." Mina said, looking around the house. "You have a really nice house here. I would've never expected a place like this to be all the way out here in these ruins."

"Yeah, I wanted to have some peace and quiet when I build." Tails stated. "So I thought that what better place to build my workshop than out here. No one would ever know it's here except my friends, and no one would bother me all the time."

Hope looked around the interior of the house, admiring it. He had to admit, that he was very impressed by the house. It had a comfy, warm, feel-at-home kind of feeling to it. It was very familiar to him. If he didn't know better, it was very much like his...old home. Suddenly, memories began flooding back into his head...bad memories. He fell to his knees as he clutched his head, forced to relive one of his worst memories.

* * *

_Flashback_

_"How could you?" Hope shouted, tears running down his face as he slammed his fists down on the cloaked figures leg, but to no avail. "Why did you take Mommy and Daddy away? Why?"_

_"I'm following the orders of my Master." he explained uncaringly, as he poured kerosene all over the house. "Plus, I had a score to settle with them. It actually felt pleasurable, killing them, something I thought I would never feel again. Now, leave me be, or you'll end up just like them._

_"NO!" Hope shouted defiantly, strange for a five-year old. "You killed Mommy and Daddy! I hate you! Give them back! Give them..." He was interrupted when the figure grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up to eye-level._

_"You're getting on my nerves." he stated, no emotion whatseover in it. "You're their son, right? Then I should have equal pleasure killing you as well."_

_Hope stiffened at those words, and fear grappled as the figure brought one of his wrists claws up to his face. Hope cried nonstop as he realized what was going to happen. He wasn't ignorant as most kids, and he knew exactly what happened to his parents, and what was going to happen to him. The figure brought back his claws for the killing blow, but stopped as he shot his head upward._

_"Master, what is it?" the figure spoke, talking into space. A few moments of silence before he spoke again. "Are you sure this is true?" More moments of silence came. "All right, if that is what you wish." He brought his towards Hope, who he still had in his grasp. "It's your lucky day. My Master has told me you are important to our future plans, so you will be allowed to live, but I'm going to make sure you never forget this day." He then carried away the young Hope._

_"Hey, you big meanie, let me go!" Hope screamed as he struggled against his grip, but to no avail._

_The figure came to the kitchen, and he looked around the cabinets. He eventually found a large bowl, and set it on the counter. He then went back and got the canteen of kerosene he was using, and came back into the kitchen with it. He filled the bowl with kerosene, and when he was done, threw away the canteen and pulled out a lighter._

_"H-hey, what are you doing with that?" Hope asked frighteningly. His question was answered when the figure turned on the lighter, and dropped into the bowl._

_The flame of the lighter made contact with the kerosene, immediately lighting a fire within the bowl. With no remorse or regret in him, he put Hope in front of the bowl, his back to the fire. Hope continued to struggle vainly as the figure put him closer to the fire with no hesitation. Eventually, his back reached the fire, and Hope screamed in absolute pain as the flames seared his back._

* * *

"Hope!" Mina screamed as he came back to reality. He was still in the workshop with everyone around him, Mina and Rena down to his level. "Hope, are you alright!"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Hope assured softly, surprising everyone. He brushed away some of the sweat that was on his forehead as he stood on his feet. "Just a little moment I had. Nothing big."

"Hope, are you sure?" Mina asked as she stood up as well, along with Rena. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Rena slightly glared at her from that question.

"Hope, is there anything _I _can do? Rena asked, emphasizing the "I" in her sentence, earning a slight glare from the mongoose.

"No, I just need some rest." Hope stated, too tired to even worry over their bickering. He just wanted to get the memory he experience out of his head.

"If that's what you want, then why don't you lay down on the couch?" Tails offerred, showing them the couch he was mentioning. "I don't really mind, if you really need the rest after that."

"Thanks very much." Hope replied, immediately laying on the couch. _"Will I ever get past that day?" _With the thought still lingering in his mind, he let sleep take him over, and get the much-needed rest he needed.

* * *

"Quimica?" Havoc questioned.

"Yeah, that's my name.." the lynx stated. "Got a problem with it?"

"Not at all." Havoc replied. Quimica looked at him a bit long before turning qround around and went to one of the tables, picking up some of the beakers and began experimenting with the chemicals. "So, where am I? This place is a dump."

Quimica slightly winced from the comment. "This 'dump' is my home." she replied sadly; Havoc instantly regretted his choice of words.

"Sorry." Havoc said with an apologetic tone. "I had no idea this was your home."

"I understand." Quimica sighed, pouring some chemicals together. "I just hate it when people criticize stuff about me."

"Well, I am deeply sorry if I offended you." Havoc told her, scratching the back of his head. _"Man, I've just been saying the wrong things today."_

"Well, at least you're sorry, so I accept the apology." Quimica stated, smiling at him; Havoc felt his cheeks get slightly warm. "If you're wondering, this place is under ground level of Soleanna. Perfect place for me and my privacy."

"How did I get here?" Havoc finally asked.

"Well, you see, I needed to get more supplies and food." she explained. "So, I came out of my home in order to buy them. I really don't like going outside that much, so this was one of the few times I did. You see, after I got what I needed, I thought about checking out the Soleanna Forest."

"Why?" Havoc asked.

"Despite not going outside that much, I really love nature, and do what I can to preserve the ecosystem. I though that maybe if I was going to protect it, I should at least have a firsthand look at it. So I went inside the forest, and after wandering around it for a few minutes, I heard sounds of battle. I followed those sounds, and I found you lying on the ground with several bullet wounds, and a cat pretty beaten up."

"Hey, where is she, anyway?" Havoc asked, remembering about Asui.

He then heard groaning from the other side of the room. Turning his head to see, his eyes widened as he saw Asui stirring in a bed similar to his. She was covered in several bandages as well, especially her back, where she suffered those deadly claw marks. She groaned as she slowly sat up on the bed.

"I couldn't leave her behind, so I brought her here." Quimica explained.

"My head..." Asui groaned. She slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Havoc. "You!" She pointed at him, startling him. "Because of you..." She tried to get up, but pain shot through her body and she was force to sit back down.

"Your wounds haven't recovered yet, so sit still." Quimica stated as she walked up to her. "And if you're wondering where your weapons are, their right on that table over there." She pointed to a nearby table, which on it was her bo staff and Desert Eagles. "Since you just woke, I'm Quimica, and you are...?"

"Asui Hikaru, GUN Captain." she stated shortly.

"Havoc, nice to meet you." Havoc introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you both, now tell me why I found you two knocked out in the forest with several wounds?" Quimica asked.

"Uh...well...you see..." Havoc stammered, trying to think of something.

"We were ambushed." Asui said suddenly; Havoc looked at her in shock, but one look from Asui, and he realized that she was trying to keep this secret as well. "I was on a secret mission for GUN, and we bumped into each other in the forest. It was unlucky for him as we were immediately ambushed by an enemy group. I was able to hold them off, but I couldn't protect Havoc and he got shot as you can see. And the wounds I sustained were enough to make me pass out."

"Huh, I see." Quimica muttered. "Well, you two are going to be okay. Just let your wounds heal a little longer and you should be back to full strength in no time at all." She then realized something, and she slowly began to laugh, earning confusion from the two.

"Uh, did we say something wrong?" Havoc asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, it's just that..." Quimica said after calming herself. "I've never really been the social type. I don't really talk to people all that much, especially with strangers. I've talked more these past few minutes than I've had in a whole month. It's weird really. I usually don't this much about myself like this before."

"Maybe we're different." Havoc suggested.

"Maybe..." Quimica said softly.

So..." Havoc started, wanting to change the subject. "What's with all of these chemicals?

"Oh, like I said before, I want to help preserve the ecosystem." Quimica stared. "So I want to create some mixtures from these chemicals, you see. But..."

"But what?" Havoc asked.

"I..." Quimica hesitated, almost dreading what they might say. "I haven't had any luck. All my concoction have been failures. Sometimes they've blown up in my face, sometimes they do just nothing, and even at times they harm nature! People have criticized me all the time, saying I shouldn't do this. That I only cause them all harm." She put her hands on the table, fighting back the tears. "Sometimes, I wonder if they're actually right." Quimica was about to cry until a hand was put over hers. She turned her head to see that the hand belonged to Havoc.

"You know, if we were talking this morning, I would've been a complete jerk about this." Havoc admitted. "But I've gone through some realization. You shouldn't let what other people say drag you down. Yeah, maybe you haven't had any success in the past, but that doesn't mean you should quit. I bet there were plently of inventors who failed many times before getting their inventions right. So just keep at it, and I'm sure you'll find the solution you're looking for." Throughout the whole speech, Quimica blushed harder and harder as she looked into his eyes, not once turning them away.

"Ugh, get a room, will you?" Asui said, slightly disgusted.

"Shut up!" both of them shouted.

Just then, they heard a small pop upstairs, earning all of their attention. The door was heard opening, and they could hear footsteps coming down the entrance stairs. But Asui, thanks to her training, was able to hear the sound of guns loading.

"Get down!" Asui shouted, as she jumped towards the two and pulled them down to the ground.

And just in time, as guns were shot right within the room. Each bullet penetrated the wall behind them, possibly ending their lives if any of them had struck them. After the bullets had ceased, black blurs had sped all through the room before coming to a stop. The three of them looked up and were all shocked at what they saw, but none more than Asui.

There were four men surrounding the them in the room, one in each corner. They all had skintight dark gray armor accentuated in black, along with black gloves and black boots. They had belts with Chaos Drives, pistols, and Uzis hanging from them, a katana strapped to each of their backs, and an Assault Rifle in each one's hands, pointed directly at them. They wore black helmets with small mouth openings and blue transluctent visors. And on each one's chest was a very small GUN logo.

"GUN Ops! What the fuck are they doing here?" Asui exclaimed. She stood up, but the moment she did, one of the Ops came up to her swiftly and jammed his gun into her chest. It knocked her back down to the ground and the Op pointed it straight at her face.

"Good job, Ops." Asui's body stiffened at the familar voice. The three of them turned to the stairs, where they saw Cyrus walked down the stairs with a cold expression on his face.

"Cyrus!" Asui exclaimed, fury rising above her tolerance point as she realized what was going on.

She immediately stood back up and tried to dash towards him, but the Op grabbed her by the arm and threw her back. She landed near the wall as the GUN Op pointed his Rifle right in her face, but she was beyond pissed to even care.

"You fucking traitorous bastard!" she exclaimed; Cyrus didn't even bother to respond to the comment.

"You know this guy?" Havoc asked as he and Quimica stood up; the other Ops did not take their eyes or Rifles off of them.

"Cyrus Tech is a GUN Colonel, head of the GUN Labs, as well as the Commander of the GUN Ops." Asui growled, hating to even mention him. "He was a revered and respected leader in GUN, but I never trusted him! He seemed too nice for someone with that much power!" She glared holes of Hell right at Cyrus. "And I was right!"

"Yes, you always were the most wary out of everyone in GUN." Cyrus pointed out. "I was actually slightly impressed of how you could sense something of my true nature behind the great veil I used to disguise it."

"What the hell do you want, Cyrus?" the cat hissed.

"Oh it's the same thing you're after." the fox answered; Asui's eye's widened. "I've known about it longer than GUN itself did. What I'm after is the Gaia Twins..." He pointed to Havoc. "And thanks to this success, I have one of them in my possession."

* * *

The scenery alternates to Angel Island, where we see Shine with his new friends. Tikal was currently explaining to Shine about the Master Emerald, Chaos was watching over the two as they did so, and Knuckles was sittting at the base of the shrine, eyes closed.

"The Master Emerald is an infinite and unbound source of power that was given to us by the gods." Tikal explained. "It's energy is the sole reason that Angel Islan is floating in the sky right now."

"Wow, that's totally amazing!" Shine exclaimed, truly in awe. "To think that just this giant gem could hold this island up in the air for so long!"

"It shows how powerful the Master Emerald really is." Tikal nodded. "You know there was poem that my grandmother taught me. It can help you channel the power of the Emeralds." Shine looked at her in interest; Tikal took a deep breath before speaking "'The servers of the seven Chaos, Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart, the controller is the one that unifies the Chaos.'"

"Wow..." Shine spoke, easily amazed by the saying.

"I said those words when trapping myself along with Chaos in the Master Emerald." Tikal stated, a sad smile. "It was a price to pay in order to stop Chaos from his rampage." Shine frowned slightly, and he still remembered to do what he could to bring her back to life.

"What are you doing here?" Knuckles shouted from the base of the shrine.

Everyone looked down the shrine to see Knuckles in a fighting position, facing off against none other than Metal Sonic. Seeing this, Chaos jumped down the shrine and readied himself as well for battle aginst the metallic doppleganger.

"If you know what is good for you, you'll leave right now." Chaos warned him.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Metal told them. "You see I'm on a very important mission here. And according to this tracker..." He motioned to the Egg Tracker in his hands. "The one that I'm looking for..." He lifted his hand above Chaos and Knuckles and pointed it right towards Shine. "...is right there."

**Things are not looking good for the twins as they are both hunted by dangerous enemies. Will they escape from these predicaments? Why are they so important to these individuals? And what is the mystery surrounding Hope's past? Find out in the next Heaven and Hell.**


	14. Hunt for Power Part 2

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Hunt for Power, Part 2

Havoc wore an expression of shock and fear as Cyrus pointed at him. Quimica looked at him in confusion while Asui stared at the intelligent fox in deep hatred. Cyrus just wore a cold expression as he stared right at Havoc, the four GUN Ops all holding their assault rifles right at them, ready to fire on them at the first sign of hostility.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Quimica exclaimed, confused about the situation. "What are the Gaia Twins? And why are you even here?"

"How did you find out about me and my brother?" Havoc asked in disbelief.

"Oh, trust me, it wasn't easy, even for someone of my intellect." Cyrus stated. "I had discovered the location of the files in a locked server while I was searching for useful info on my personal computer. It had taken me hours to crack the _thousands _of firewalls, security locks, and protection codes. I was surprised at all the walls that were set up to keep those files safe. But when I read them, I knew the reason why. I was impressed that such a project went on without me knowing. But now that I know, I'll be one step closer to my goal."

"What the fuck are you planning!" Asui growled, tempted to jump at the fox and strangle him, but restrained herself.

"Simple, I intend to create a New World Order." Cyrus stated with a matter-of-fact tone; everyone's eyes widened at those words.

"New World Order!" Quimica exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, a New World Order." Cyrus answered with a smile. "The world today is filled with nothing more than chaos, murder, rape, betrayal, war, and suffering everywhere we go. But I am going to change all that. I will save the world from its path of self-destruction."

"What's wrong with you!" Quimica questioned. "The world may have its flaws, but that is what makes the world even greater. Our world isn't perfect, nothing is, but that's what makes us human. And I know that all of the good things within our world far outweigh the bad. Besides, you can't just force people to go along with your ideals.

"Oh, but I can." Cyrus grinned. "You see, I plan on creating a machine known as the Order Transmitter. With it, I can induce a form of mind control all around the world. I can inflct certain thought and ideals within their minds. Their wills will still be in control, but they will be reacting to those thoughts, ensuring true peace. And who better to lead such a vision than the smartest person in the world!"

"Fuck you, you fucking psychopath!" Asui shouted. "Your peace will be nothing more than a illusion. That's not true peace, that's just a prison! A fucking playground for your madness! Everything will just be empty, damn it!"

"Shame, that you don't share my views." Cyrus stated. "But it does not matter. There is nothing you can do to stop it. This plan has been in motion long before you even entered GUN."

"What do I have to do with his crazy plan of yours?" Havoc asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Cyrus responded, staring into his eyes. "You see, I can't allow GUN to get their hands on you or your brother. You are far too powerful for someone like them to use. I need a power source for my Order Transmitter when its completed, and you Gaia Twins are the perfect candidates. Your god-like powers of light and darkness are perfect to power up my machine. Plus, the experiments I could create with you as my subjects are endless."

"I'm not going to be a damn tool for anyone!" Havoc shouted defiantly. "I'm not just some experiment for you damn people. I am Havoc, and I won't let you get away with this!"

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter." Cyrus stated calculatively. "As you can see from the situation, I'm the one in control. You've lost, so accept it."

Quimica looked around, and was forced to agree with Cyrus. She saw no way out of this. One false move, and the GUN Ops would shoot them. She glanced at Asui, and saw that she had come to the same conclusion. She began to lose hope, until she remembered something.

_"Wait, with my powers, I could..." _she thought._ "Wait, it's too dangerous, and what if it doesn't work." _She looked around the room, and her eyes stopped on Havoc. She could tell that he was afraid of what was going to happen to him, the fear of being use for someone's own selfish this strengthened her resolve._"I have to do this. There is no other option."_

"Now, if you could quietly, come with us, Havoc, we won't have to hurt you in any way." Cyrus stated, holding out his hand. "I might even spare your friends' lives, but that doesn't mena I'll let them go."

"Nobody move!" Everyone, including the Ops, turned towards Quimcia, and saw she had her hands close together, and between them was a little circular spark. "One move, and I swear I'll create an atomic explosion right where I stand, and send us all straight to Hell!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at Angel Island, the situation was not any better as Metal stood before his enemies, his finger pointed right at Shine. The white hedgehog looked on in shock, the others looking on in confusion.

"Shine?" Tikal said confusedly. She turned to the pure white hedgehog. "What do you have to do with this?"

_"Oh no, I can't believe it."_ Shine panicked. _"Havoc was right! Someone did know about us, and now they've come for me! Oh man, I should've listened to him!"_

"What do you want with Shine?" Chaos questioned seriously. "What value could he possibly be to you? He's not even strong at all." But Chaos himself doubted his words, for he had a sinking feeling he knew what Metal wanted with Shine.

"I have no need to explain myself." Metal stated coldly. "So I suggest you get out of my way so I can get what I came for." He started towards the shrine, but then Knuckles blocked his way.

"There is no way I'm letting you take Shine for whatever plan you and Eggman thought of!" he stated, raising his fists. "Now if you want him, then you'll have to go through me!"

"Should've expected this from the likes of you..." Metal sighed. "If that's the way its going to be..."

The metallic doppelganger suddenly shot his claw towards his skull, and Knuckles moved his head out of the way in time purely on instinct. But then Metal kneed him in the gut. The echidna gasped in pain as the machine backhanded him in the face, sending him rolling across the ground. Metal turned his attention to Shine, as he shot towards him, but was stopped when something grabbed his leg, halting him. Metal turned around to see that the watery Chaos was the one who stopped him.

"Whatever your reason for taking Shine is, I won't let you take him away!" Chaos said defiantly.

He then threw Metal across the plain wih one hand, but the metallic doppleganger recovered, landing on his feet. But the moment he did, Chaos formed a Chaos Lance and fired it right at him. Metal instantly jumped back into the air, summoned blue electrical arcs into his hands, and shot them towards the watery god. Chaos jumped away as they struck the ground, landing on the stairs of the shrine. Metal landed on the ground and raced right towards him at sonic speed, but before he reached him, he felt a spiked fist connect with his face from out of nowhere, sendig him down to the ground. The metallic doppleganer rubbed his face as he looked to see Knuckles, a determined look on his face.

"Why is Shine so important to you?" Knuckles asked. "He's not that strong. Hell, he doesn't even want to fight, period! It doesn't make sense."

"I still have no need to explain it to you fools." Metal stated as he stood up. "But I will say this: there's more to him than meets the eye."

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Knuckles exclaimed.

"I don't explain myself to a buffoon like you." the machine replied.

Knuckles didn't take too kindly to that last statement, evident with the angry expression on his face. He jumped and threw a punch right for Metal, but the machine jumped away as the echidna's fist shattered the ground beneath him. He then activated the jet boosters on his feet, and flew straight towards Knuckles, his claws raised. But just before he reached him, Chaos extended his hand from the stairs and struck Metal in mid-air. The metallic doppleganger was sent across the air before halting himself with his boosters. But before he knew it, Knuckles appeared and struck him with an uppercut to the gut. Metal recovered though, and, grabbing his arm, flipped over the echidna and with all of his might threw him across the field. Chaos was jumped into the echidna's path and caught him. As they recovered, he flew into the air and gathered a large amount of electricity into his right hand, and began shaping it around it. Eventually, it took the form of a 4-foot long blue lightning bolt, sparks flying from it all over the place.

"Here's my newest technique!" Metal announced, gripping the bolt tightly; the sparks broke several pieces of rock on the ground. "Let's see if you can stand it! **High Voltage Bolt!"**

Metal threw the High Voltage Bolt straight at the two, who had recovered enough to see it coming. They jumped in opposite directions as the bolt struck the ground, practically leaving a small crater on the ground. Metal shot foward with another High Voltage Bolt in his hand, aimed right at Knuckles. But then the echidna slammed his fists together, suddenly igniting flames. Metal slammed his High Voltage Bolt at him, but the flames suddenly formed a shield in front of the echidna. The moment the bolt collided with the flames, it created an explosion that sent Metal back. The metallic doppleganger skidded to a halt on his feet, but the moment he did, Chaos came out of nowhere and delivered a punch straight to his gut. He then delivered a kick to his side, causing Metal to stagger. The true God of Destruction then swerved around the machine and delivered a Chaos Lance to his back. The watery god used the impact of the blow to send the machine into the air. Metal looked up for a moment as he was in the air, and saw Knuckles right above him.

"Have fun in mechanical hell!" Knuckles shouted; his hands was coated with spiraling embers . **"Fire Fists!"**

The Guardian of the Master Emerald proceeded to slam his fire-coated fists into Metal. The sound of parts breaking was heard as Metal tried to hold his screams of pain. The machine was sent plummeting down to the ground by the strike, forming a crater of impact, dust blowing all over it. Knuckles landed on the ground near it, and both him and Chaos walked up to it. But as they got close to it, electricity suddenly sparked from it, and they heard two words.

**"Metal Surge!"**

Metal shot out from the dust, his right hand coated in a wave of electricity from his fingertips to his wrist. And before Chaos could react, the metallic doppleganger swung his that wave of electricty through the side of Chaos. He screamed as his part of his watery body was torn apart, electricty painfully conducting through his body. Metal looked indifferently as the water god fell to the ground in agony; the machine's torso has been slightly burnt and crushed. But the machine swiftly brought his hand to block an incoming punch from the now enraged Knuckles.

"How dare you do that to Chaos!" Knuckles exclaimed, anger in his eyes.

"He deserved it." Metal stated uncaringly. "It was about time someone brought him down to size."

"Oh, I am so going to enjoy turning you into scrap metal!" Knuckles stated, narrowing his eyes.

"Then do so...if you can." Metal challenged.

Knuckles gladly took the challenge as he quickly grabbed the machine and threw him over to the shrine. Metal landed right in front of the stairs to said shrine, and the echidna threw a devastating punch, but Metal was able to catch with his hand. The machine then threw a punch of his own, but Knuckles was able to catch his as well. The two were then locked into a momentary stalemate as they stared each other down, neither moving an inch. Suddenly, Knuckles pushed him right into the stone steps behind him, but Metal rebounded by using propping his feet onto his chest and pushing him off. He also activated his jet boosters, which burnt Knuckles' chest badly. The force threw him down to the ground in pain, a severe burn across his chest. Metal stood himself to an upright position, standing proudly over Knuckles.

"As expected, you were no match for me." Metal said triumphantly. "Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to collect my target."

The moment he spoke those words, a fist connected with his face, sending him back down onto the stairs. He rubbed his face in irritation as his electronic eyes foudn the one resposible. Chaos stood on on knee, next to the small crater, his right arm retracting as his left held his injured side as it slowly regenerated. Metal's eyes narrowed with anger as he saw this.

"Why don't you just stay down?" Metal growled, once again standing up.

"Because we're not going to let you take Shine away so easily!" Knuckles proclaimed. He suddenly stood back up and threw a powerful fist at Metal. The machine dodged it just in time and then pushed Knuckles away.

"You just don't know when you're outclassed!" Metal exclaimed; electricity then cackled around his hands dangerously. "Fine. If you all want to meet your end right here and now, then I'll be sure to administer it!"

Meanwhile, Shine and Tikal were watching the whole battle unfold from the top of the shrine. Tikal watched with worry in her eyes, while Shine just had an expression of horror on his face.

"This is all so dangerous." Tikal said worriedly. "I hope Knuckles and Chaos pull through, even if I don't condone this violence. But one thing bothers me: why did Metal come for you?" A few moments passed and she recieved no response. "Shine?"

_"All this violence, all this pain, all this destruction..." _Shine said scared. _"I can't take it! I hate fighting! I hate all this violence! Why do they have to fight? Why do they have to destroy this wonderful nature? Why? Just make it stop! Please, stop it!"_

He fell to his knees as pain coursed through his whole body, holding it as he was slowly moaning in agony. Tikal gasped as she saw what was happening to Shine. She knelt down to his level as she checked on him.

"Shine, what's wrong?" Tikal panicked.

"Please stop..." Shine muttered. Much to Tikal's surprise, the markings over his right eye began to expand over his whole body. "Stop the fighting. Please, no more of this senseless destruction. Just stop. There's no need for this."

"What's going on?" Tikal exclaimed. "Shine, please tell me what's happening to you! You need help!" The ecidna priestess then went at a loss of words when a bright golden aura surrounded him.

"Stop it." Shine muttered once again. "Stop it. Stop it. Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT! STOP THE FIGHTING!"

Suddenly, a geyser of light erupted from the hedgehog, the raw energy pushing even the spirit of the echidna priestess of to the side of the shrine. Tikal looked on in total shock and disbelief while everyone below turned their attention upward. Chaos and Knuckles and looked at the scene in disbelief while Metal looked at in awe.

"Could this be...his true form?" Metal questioned.

"True form?" Knuckles exclaimed. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

His question was answered when geyser suddenly broke apart, shards of light of light filling the air. Everyone in attendance looked in total shock as four angel wings burst from the back of transformed Shine. His fur had changed to a pure gold, white markings all over his body. His quills had grown all the way down to his back, and had grown elegant white chest fur. He now had lightweight white armored boots and gauntlets, and plantinum armor plates over his shoulders, elbows, and knees. His eyes were closed as he stood up on his feet, flexing his angel wings.

Everyone was silent as the transformed Shine stood up there on the shrine. Tikal slowly stood to her feet and walked towards the now golden, angel-like hedgehog. She reached her hand out slowly, almost carefully towards him.

"Shine...?" she said quietly.

The one word seemingly sparked him, as his suddenly shot open, revealing pure golden orbs. This caught everyone off-guard as the golden hedgehog brought his hands to his sides. The shards of light in the air suddenly came together, surrounding him, forming eleven white crystals circled around him. Tikal backed up in shock and fear while the others below cautiously readied themselves as the crystals began to cricle around him slowly, then sped up as time passed, and soon the crystals were circling him at an intense, fast pace. He then brought his hands to his chest, and then shot them out to his sides. The crystals broke on command, and shockingly, each crystal breaking summoned a weapon around him.

Eleven weapons now surrounded the golden hedgehog: three plantinum swords, a golden spear, a silver lance, two steel crossbows, a silver halberd, a bronze axe sword, and a golden katana. These weapons floated around the hedgehog as he swiftly grabbed two of the swords and swung them around in an impressive before he pointed one of them towards Chaos, Knuckles, and Metal at the base of the shrine.

"Oh crap..." Metal muttered.

* * *

"What the hell do you mean 'create an atomic explosion'!" Havoc exclaimed.

"Well you see..." Quimica started hesitantly. "I can control all the elements that you can find on the periodic table. I can control the atoms within the very air, splitting them apart or bringing them together. If I wanted to, I could create an atomic explosion anywhere I want!"

"Seriously?" Havoc said in shock. "Why the hell didn't you tell us this? I know we just met a few mintues ago, but it's useful information, you know!"

"I didn't tell you because I didn't think you'd understand!" Quimica replied angrily, shocking the hedgehog. She carefully eyed the Ops, ready to react any movement. "My powers regarded me as a ticking time bomb to everyone! They all thought of me a danger and a freak! I was alone for so many years because of that! How could you understand being rejected by everyone like that?"

"I...I didn't know." Havoc muttered, eyes in disbelief.

"Yeah, well you know." Quimica said simply. She then turned her attention to Cyrus. "Now, Cyrus, was it? Listen, I don't know what the hell is going on! I don't know why you want Havoc, but I know that this New World Order of yours is not good! So, you either let us go, or I swear I will detonate an atomic explosion right here and send us all to hell!"

She stood her ground as the Ops around them pointed her guns at her threateningly, but she knew they wouldn't fire as long as she had this situation as she wanted it. Cyrus just stared at her, and what creeped her out the most was his eyes. Ice-blue eyes that held no emotion, seemingly looking through her soul, calculating everything about her and the situation down to its simplest form. But while all the attention was focused on Quimica, no one noticed Asui silently inching ever closer to the table that held her weapons.

"You can control the atoms in the air?" Cyrus asked intrigued.

"Yeah, and I'm not afraid to send us all to hell with it!" Quimica boldly proclaimed. "Now let us go or I send off an atomic bomb right here, and you and, hopefully, New World Order go up in smoke!" Silence filled the room as tension filled the air.

"You won't do it." Cyrus stated, shocking Quimica. "I know you won't go through with your threat, Quimica."

"O-of course I'll go through it!" Quimica stammered. "And how do you know my name? I didn't tell you it."

"Oh, we know everything about you Quimica." Cyrus said calmly. "You see, we learned of you while we watched your father."

"You knew my father?" Quimic questioned.

"No, but we watched him from afar." Cyrus answered. "He was the greatest chemists perhaps in the world. His knowledge of the chemicals of this world was invaluable, creating powerful that never before existed. I wanted him on our side, for with such knowledge and skill, our plans could have had so many possibilities to it. Unfortunately, that was not meant to be."

"What do you mean 'not meant to be'?" Havoc asked cautiously; he noticed the saddened expression on Quimica's expression.

"He unexpectly died on us." Cyrus stated; Havoc was taken back while Quimica winced. "He made a rare mistake on his part during a chemical experiment, resulting in a radioactive explosion that killed him. Most unfortunate. Because of this, we never had the chance to show him how the world really was and recruit him to our cause."

"You're crazy!" Quimica retorted. "My father would never have joined with the likes of you! And I swear I'll blow us to Hell if you don't let us go!"

"Quimica, Quimica, Quimica..." Cyrus shook his head disappointedly. "Your empty threats don't intimidate me in the slightest. I know you won't go through with them, and you know why?" He began to walk ever closer to the lynx. "You don't have the fortitude to take your own life. I can see from the subtle shaking of your body and the dilated pupils. That's not it? Then what about your 'friends' here? Are you really willing to take their lives? What about the city of Soleanna and its inhabitants? You may hate them, but I know you don't hate them enough to want to kill them. And if that is not enough, then what about the nature surrounding Soleanna, especially the forest. You would do great damage to the ecosystem, and I have learned how much you care for it. That's why I know you won't do it."

The words of the GUN Colonel were getting to Quimica as she backed away with each step Cyrus took towards her. Each reason, each comment, each retort broke down her will, wittling it away. She was eventually backed into the wall of the room, her hands still close to the other, the spark there, but they were uncontrollably shaking. Cyrus stood before her and leaned his head close to hers.

"You're not heartless." Cyrus stated montonously. "You're too compassionate. You don't have the strength or will to go through with your threats."

Those words finally broke her as she fell down the wall to the floor in a sitting position, breaking her power over the atom. She silently cried as Cyrus just stared indifferently at her. Havoc could not stand what was happening and tried to lunge for the fox, but two GUN Ops grabbed his arms and held him back.

"You absolute bastard!" Havoc shouted angrily. "Why did you do that? Look what you done to Quimica! How can you be so heartless?"

"She brought it upon herself." Cyrus stated coldly. "She put up a threat that she knew she didn't have the strength to go through with. She allowed it to happen to herself. She is to blame." The GUN OPs were all that held Havoc back from tearing the fox at the moment. "Take the lynx with us. Her powers could prove useful to us. With our victory here today, my plan is even more ensured to succeed."

"Yeah, one problem..."

Before anyone could even react, Asui appeared out of nowhere, bo staff on her back and her guns in her hands. And with great speed and swiftness, wrapped her arm around Cyrus' neck from behind and held him tightly, placing the barrel of one of her Desert Eagles right under the chin of the GUN Colonel. All the GUN Ops immediately pointed their rifes right at the GUN Captain as she held Cyrus.

"You were so focused on Quimica, you forgot about me." Asui explained proudly. "Now either let us go, or I'll blow your brains out. And unlike the lynx..." She pushed the gun harder under his chin. "I make good on my threats."

**The tables have turned in unexpected ways as the situations have changed drastically. What will happen now Asui has somehow taken Cyrus hostage? What will the transformed Shine do to the ones on Angel Island? And what is the truth of the Gaia Twins? Find out in the next chapter of Heaven and Hell.**


	15. Hunt for Power Part 3

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Hunt for Power, Part 3

All the attention was placed on Asui Hikaru and Cyrus Tech, the former shockingly holding the latter hostage. All the GUN Ops had their assault rifles aimed right at the ice-cold cat, but she stood her ground as she held the fox, pressing her Desert Eagle up to his chin. Havoc could only watch the situation unfold as he attended to Quimica, who was sitting against the wall sobbing, her will broken by the GUN Colonel. Cyrus did not at all seem to be even shocked or surprised as he looked at the current situation around him.

"I'm impressed, Asui." Cyrus stated calmly. "You actually managed to turn the tables, and put me in a hostage position. I don't think anyone has been able to do that."

"Just taking opportunity when I see it." Asui informed, never taking her eyes off of her enemies. "You, along with everyone else, was so focused on the lynx, that you never even noticed me. I took full advantage of it, and now here we are, in this situation. One that I greatly enjoy."

"Well, now that you have me in this positition, what do you plan to do?" Cyrus questioned.

"Simple." Asui replied coolly. "I want you to tell those Ops to stand down and let me, Havoc, and Quimica go. Now you can either agree to this..." She pressed the gun harder into his chin. "Or I'll blow your brains all over the place."

"Do you really think you can pull the trigger?" Cyrus asked analystically. "If you kill me, here and now, then the Ops will open fire on you. You will not survive."

"Do you think I care?" Asui hissed. "You see, right now, I am angry, pissed off, and extremely erratic. And I think you, out of all people, know how emotions can affect a person's actions. If it weren't for the situation, I'd shoot you right now, but I'm more concerned on getting them out of here. But if you don't comply with my demands, I swear you will find your frickin' head blasted off your shoulders. And guess what, your entire New World Order goes up in smoke! Because I know no one else will carry it out like you will. So will you take the smart and logical choice, or will you risk all your years of planning, secrecy, and conceit on this, because you know, I'm feeling a little trigger-happy..."

There was a long moment of silence after those words were said. No one made a single move as what was said sank into everyone, Cyrus just standing there as he valued the options that were available to him. And finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the fox spoke.

"Men, stand down." Cyrus ordered. The order initially shocked the Ops, but that didn't stop them from lowering their guns. "You're right. Such emotions can create unpredictable actions. I can't take that chance."

"Glad you see it my way." Asui said coldly. "Now one more thing..." She leaned towards his ear. "Why did you just tell us about your plan? It's not in your nature to just simply tell people your plans just like that."

"Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." Cyrus smirked; Asui stared at him with an ice-cold expression.

"Tell the Ops to let them go." Asui demanded, referring to Quimica and Havoc.

"Ops, let them past." Cyrus ordered. The Ops immediately moved to both sides of the rooms.

"Havoc, pick up Quimica." Asui directed. "We're getting out of here."

Havoc nodded slightly to the cat, picking the still crying lynx up bridal style and walked towards the stairs. Asui walked towards them as well, Cyrus still in her grip. They arrived at the base and slowly backed up them, the Ops following them. They eventually reached the top, the entrance to the outside above. Then there was a standoff for a few moments, time seemingly standing still. Then in the blink of an eye, Asui suddenly kicked Cyrus toward the Ops.

"Let's get out of here!" Asui exclaimed as she turned to the entrance.

Havoc didn't need to be told twice as he and Asui immediately bolted out the entrance with Quimica in his arms as the Ops caught the fox. By the time they recovered, they were already gone. The GUN Ops were about to give chase when Cyrus held a hand up to stop them.

"Let them go." Cyrus said. "They're gone. There's no need to chase after them. Poor Asui. She was so wrapped up with me, she failed to notice the tracker I placed on her." The fox smirked. "They'll lead us right to the second Gaia Twin. That I'm sure of. So for now, we wait. And now, they have nowhere to go..."

* * *

Asui and Havoc, with a now unconscious Quimica in his arms, had run out of the underground home, which was on the very edge of Soleanna, and then ran right into the forest. They continued into it for several minutes before coming to a halt, both out of breath. Asui leaned onto a tree panting, while Havoc fell down to a sitting position still holding the lynx.

"Okay, that was too close for comfort." Havoc breathed out. He then looked down at the unconscious lynx. "Oh man, Quimia's passed out!"

"I'm not surprised." Asui panted, not turning around to face him. "Cyrus really did a number on her will. She didn't even have enough left to stay conscious. Just give her time to rest. She'll wake up soon."

"At least there's a bright side to this." Havoc smirked. "We now know that damn fox's plans. Now all we need to do is tell everyone and his plan's are down the drain. He'll be..."

"We're not going to tell anyone." Asui stated; the hedgehog's eyes widened to the fullest.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Havoc screamed; Quimica slightly twitched. "What do you mean we're not going to tell anyone? Have you lost your freakin' mind! This is our chance to expose that psychopath for what he really is! And you're just passing that up! I knew there was something wrong with..."

"IT WON'T MAKE A DAMN DIFFERENCE!" Asui shouted, turning towards him; Havoc was taken back. "It won't make a damn difference, and he knows it. That's why he told us his plans just upfront like that. Think about it. Such a plan would be downright absurd to most people. We don't have a shred of proof for it. If we just go and proclaim something like that without evidence, they would label us as crazy, and lock us in the asylum."

"But..." Havoc tried to retort, but realize she was right. "But what about GUN? If we go to the HQ, they would believe us. You probably have some influence. They would believe you. We have a..."

"Not going to work." Asui replied with resent. "I may have a high rank, but you don't known Cyrus like I do. He is one of the most successful people in GUN, as well as one of the most influential and trustful, ironically. They would most likely take their word over mine. And besides, that's the last place we should go to. Who knows how many people in GUN are in on this plan. I'm pretty certain if we get even near there, I'll be shot in the head, and you and the lynx are taken to God know's where."

"So, basically we're screwed?" Havoc asked; the cat remained silent. "Damn. You could've killed him and end his plans there and then!"

"No offense, but I prefer to stay alive right now." Asui groaned. "You see, I have a goal, a dream, and I will not die until I achieve it. And trust me, if I killed him then, you would've died along with me and the lynx. Don't worry. When the time is right, I'll be sure to kill the bastard where he stands." She took a good look at her surroundings. "The question now...is where to head? We can't stay in this forest unless we want Cyrus and his goons finding us."

Havoc remained silent as the Ice Queen brainstormed possible destinations for them. He stared down at the unconscious form of Quimica, his thoughts focused on her and his brother. Then suddenly, a sharp feeling shot through his body, specifically his chest. He clenched his teeth as he groaned, nearly dropping Quimica. Asui saw this and ran towards his position.

"What's going on?" Asui exclaimed. "Please tell me you're not going to transform now of all times!"

"No...it's...my brother..." he said through clenched teeth; Asui gaped in shock. "I can feel him...I know where he is."

"Wait a minute, how the hell do you know that?" Asui asked irritably.

"Me and my brother have a spiritual connection of sorts." Havoc explained panting. "I guess it's natural considering who we really are. It's a connection that allows us to know the location of the other. But we don't know how to use this connection, it just works out of nowhere, like now. I just got a sharp feeling in my chest that's telling me something is happening to my brother."

"Okay, so where is he?" Asui questioned.

"He's in that direction." Havoc directed, raising his finger towards the right. "The feeling is pulling me that way."

"Well, since we got nowhere else to go, might as well head that way." she muttered. He helped Havoc to his feet, Quimica still in his arms. "Come on. Let's get a little more distance from the city, then we'll rest awhile."

Havoc nodded, and then they headed towards the new destination, hoping for something. But what neither of them noticed was a tiny, almost invisible device on Asui's pants.

* * *

On Angel Island, everyone in attendance looked on in shock at the now transformed Shine, eleven different weapons floating around him. He held two of those weapons, two plantinum blades, in his hands, pointing them at the three at the base of the shrine.

"What the hell just happened to him?" Knuckles exclaimed. "This doesn't make a damn bit of sense!" Chaos just stared intensely, now knowing what he sensed of Shine.

"Man, this was not how it was supposed to go." Metal stated, sparking his hands with electricity. "Now things have taken a turn for the worst."

"Wait a minute, was this the reason why you wanted Shine?" Knuckles questioned.

"The reason I want to capture the hedgheog is..."

Before Metal could finish the sentence, a foot suddenly connected with his face from out of nowhere. The metallic doppleganger was sent flying across the field. Tikal gasped shockingly as she and the others saw that Shine was already down there with his floating weapons, his foot extended in front of him.

"I thought you weren't one for fighting!" Knuckles stated; Shine didn't even respond. "Well, at least you're helping us out." Knuckles then took a step towards him.

"No, Knuckles, don't!" Chaos suddenly warned.

The echidna stopped in his tracks, confusion evident on his face. But it was already too late, as Shine suddenly swung a sword, which sent a wave of light magic at him. Knuckles was completely caught off-guard as it struck him in the chest and sent him down to the ground. Shine then turned his attention to Chaos, who was still trying to regenerate his wound. The watery god knew that this wasn't the Shine they knew as the transformed hedgehog swung his sword at him. He jumped away as it barely missed him, and Shine followed it up by stabbing his sword at him.

"Damn it, Shine, snap out of it!" Chaos exclaimed, sidestepping the stab. "This isn't you! Fight whatever's controlling you!"

Apparently his words didn't get through as Shine suddenly grabbed the axe sword and threw it at Chaos. The watery being ducked it, but he didn't see it coming back like a boomerang. It sliced his shoulder, and he fell down to his knees in pain as aresponse. He tried to regenerate it as well as his wound as Shine stood over him with an indifferent, calm expression on his face, his weapons hovering around him. Suddenly, he turned around, grabbed the katana, and used it to block a punch from Knuckles.

"That's it!" Knuckles shouted. "I am going to beat you into oblivion! Maybe that'll knock some sense into you!"

Knuckles then threw yet another punch at the hedgehog, but Shine easily dodge with a sidestep. The echidna then threw an uppercut, but the hedgehog nonchalantly backed away from it. Knuckles then threw one more punch at him, but suddenly a shield of light appeared, deflecting the fist. Knuckles staggered back in response, and Shine took advantage by swinging the katana across his chest. Knuckles hissed in pain as the blade cut his torso in a diagnol fashion, leaving a long bleeding cut in it's place.

"Goddammit!" Knuckles cursed as he backed away, holding his wound in pain.

Suddenly, Shine kicked the echidna down to the ground, pinning him down to the ground with his foot. Knuckles struggled to get up, but it was no use as the hedgehog kept his foot on his chest. He grabbed the spear and lance and pointed them down at the echidna's throat, staring down at him, eerily calm. Suddenly he swung his his spear around to his side, which blocked an incoming arc of electricty. He also brought his lance to block the claw of Metal Sonic.

"I don't care how powerful you are!" Metal growled. "You're coming with me, and that's final!"

Shine just narrowed his eyes in response as he kept the machine at bay. Knuckles saw that Shine was distracted, and took advantage as he threw him off. Shine used his angel wings to hover in the air as Metal charged and swung his claws at him. Shine blocked with the spear, and then the machine stabbed his other claw, but the transformed hedgehog pushed it away with the lance. Metal swung his claws at an intense pace, but Shine easily blocked every single strike with the weapons around him.

"Damn it!" Metal cursed. "Hold still!"

The metallic doppleganger tried to stab Shine with his claws once again, but the transformed hedgehog caught his arm swiftly before it reached him. Metal tried to pull free from his grip, but it was useless as the hedgehog would not let go. Suddenly, Knuckles came out of nowhere and threw his spiked fist for Shine's face. But his attempt was just as futile as the transformed hedgehog caught his arm mid-throw as well. As the two struggled to free their arms, two of the plantinum swords of the eleven floating weapons suddenly pointed at them, light gathering at their tips.

"Oh crap..." they both muttered.

Dual beams of light shot out from the blades, striking them both in the chests, sending them down to the ground several feet away. As they tried to recover, Shine swiftly grabbed the steel crossbows and flew into the air. As they stood up, they looked around for Shine, but fell short. They then heard the flapping of wings, and they looked up and saw Shine above them, his two steel crossbows pointed right at them.

"Damn it!" Knuckles exclaimed.

Shine immediately began firing a volley of light arrows down on his opponents. Metal and Knuckles began to run around the field, doing their best to maneuver the projectiles.

"Metal, I hate to say it, but I think we're going to have to team up!" Knuckles stated as he twisted around to avoid an arrow.

"Hell no!" Metal replied angrily, swerving around the arrows. "There is no way in hell I will ever work with the likes of you!"

"Listen, I don't know what's happened to Shine, but I do know that we're not doing too good right now!" Knuckles pointed out, creating a shield of fire around him to protect himself from the arrows. "I don't like it any more than you, but we don't have a choice. Here's the deal: Either work with me, and we might have a chance of stopping him, or don't and we both die. Your choice."

Metal growled as he listened to those words, shooting arcs of electricity at the incoming arrows. But they just kept coming as Shine flew around them swiftly, firing the light arrows from his crossbows even faster. Just when it seemed Metal and Knuckles were out, Shine suddenly stopped firing and took hold of the halberd and swung it around, hitting a large yellow energy arrow out of nowhere to the side. Shine took a look and saw Chaos, his wounds still regenerating, his hands thrown out.

"Shine, I'm afraid that you have left me no choice." Chaos stated.

He then proceeded to fire more Chaos Lances at him, but the transformed hedgehog destroyed each one that came his way with swipes of his weapons. Both Metal and Knuckles saw that his attention was taken away from them, and they both relecutnatly nodded at each other. Metal took a hold of his arm, and then he used his jet boosters to propel himself into the air, brining Knuckles with him.

Shine continued to easily destroy the incoming Chaos Lances until he used the halberd to strike a Chaos Lance back at the watery god. Chaos had no time to react as the Lance landed at his feet, blowing him away. Shine just stared calmly at what happened until he sensed something approaching him form behind. He turned around, only to be met with a fist to the jaw from an incoming Knuckles, thrown by Metal. The angelic hedgehog flew upward from the impact, but Metal used his boosters to get above him. He gathered a vast amount of electricity, and formed into a bolt.

"Eat this!" Metal shouted. **"High Voltage Bolt!"**

The metallic doppleganger threw the bolt, which conencted with Shine's chest, sending him down to the ground. Suddenly, two whatery hands suddenly grabbed the falling Shine and retracted back to a now recovered Chaos. He brought his knee to connect with his back, and then created a Chaos Lance, thrusting it at his back as well, sending him back into the air. Knuckles, still in mid-air, coated his fist in flames, and with all his might, threw it at the incoming Shine, striking him in the face. The transformed hedgehog was sent falling to the ground, crashing with big impact. Dust filled the area as Metal and Knuckles landed and went to the crash site, along with Chaos. The three circled the crater, covered with dust and smoke.

"Finally, he goes down." Metal stated. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to bring him with me."

"Wait a minute!" Knuckles exclaimed., turning to him. "I may not know what happened with him, but like I told you before, there is no way you're taking Shine!"

"There's nothing you can do about it!" Metal replied angrily.

"Oh really, then why don't you prove that?" Chaos challenged. "It's about time you leave this island."

Metal stood his ground as he put himself in a fighting stance, standing off against his two opponents. Silence filled the area as they waited for someone to make the first move. But then suddenly, a giant light suddenly shined out of the crater, catching everyone's attention.

"What the hell?" Metal exclaimed.

Suddenly, the light shattered, shocking revealing Shine, hovering in the air with his eleven weapons around him, no wounds anywhere on his body. Everyone stared in complete and utter shock at this sight.

"Impossible..." Knuckles muttered. "That should've stopped him."

Faster than the blink of an eye, Shine shot towards Knuckles and stabbed him in the shoulder with the halberd. The echidna screamed in pain, and Shine gathered a vast amount of light in his free hand, and fired a huge blast at point-blank range. Knuckles was sent to the ground, wounds covering every inch of his body. Metal shot at him, pulling his claws back for a strike. But Shine turned around and caught his arm, and then brought his leg down on his head, crashing him face-first into the ground.

Chaos jumped into the air, formed a pair of Chaos Lances in his hands and fired them at Shine. Two of the plantinum blades suddenly moved through the air, slicing through the Lances. The God of Destruction then shot down towards him and thrust his claws at him. Shine just stood there staring at his approaching figure, doing nothing. Suddenly, he brought his hand up, and five small beams of light shot out from his fingers. Chaos had no time to react as the beams pierced his arms, legs, and shoulder. He screamed in pain as the beams held him in the air, while the three platinum swords suddenly pointed at him, their tips touching one another. A huge amount of light gathered at their tips, creating a giant sphere.

"Shine...no..." Chaos said quietly.

The hedgehog didn't even dare to listen as the swords shot out a giant beam of light that completely engulfed the watery god. Once it dissipitated, Chaos fell to the ground, his watery body greatly damaged, slowly falling apart from the attack. Shine stared at his lying form with his now unflinching indifferent expression. But while he was focused on the down watery god, Metal was slowly getting up, and as he did so, his hand became coated with a familar field of raging electricity.

**"Metal Surge!"**

He then thrust his hand toward the transformed hedgehog, hoping to wound him greatly. But suddenly, Shine spun around and caught the Surge in his hand. Metal just stared in shock as Shine held it in his hand. He suddenly tightened it, and broke it into several pieces. Metal could only look in disbelief as his signature attack was shattered so easily. He suddenly got a kick to the chin by the hedgehog, sending him into the air. Shine flew up and surrounded the machine with his eleven weapons. Metal recomposed himself and used his boosters to keep himself airborne, but that would be a mistake as he realized the situation he was in. Shine suddenly appeared, grabbed one of the plantinum blades, and shot towards the machine and slashed at him. Metal screamed in pain as the blade struck him, and Shine immediately grabbed the halberd and then zoomed in and struck Metal with it. He continued this pattern, striking Metal with all eleven weapons repeatedly. For the finale, all the weapons shot towards Metal, and struck him from all sides. Metal fell to the ground defeated, his broken body doing all it can to stay online.

Shine gracefully landed on the ground and looked at the battlefield. He saw the downed bodies of Metal and Chaos, and deemed them unable to fight anymore. He suddenly heard movement, and turned around to see Knuckles trying to stand up. Shine then slowly walked to the still moving echidna.

"Damn it!" Knuckles groaned, doing his best to sit up. "Man, I can't let this happen. I've got to stop Shine before..." He then saw armored boots, and looked up to see the angelic hedgehog. "...Uhhhh, hi?"

The eleven weapons pointed directly at the downed echidna, and each began to form light around him. Eventually, each weapon was coated with brilliant light, razor sharp tips on each one. Knuckles' eyes widened as the weapons moved back a bit, and were about to be thrown at him when...

"SHINE! STOP IT!"

The weapons were thrown, but immediately stopped when Tikal moved in the way, throwing her arms out as a shield. Shine had the weapons stop as his eyes widened as he saw Tikal, nearly on the verge of crying. While the knowledge of her as a spirit was still fresh, the transformed hedgehog, despite what he had become, still couldn't do it as the weapons were inches away from her figure.

"Shine..." Tikal sniffed. "Please come back. This isn't you. I don't know what's wrong with you, but I know that this isn't you. You would never fight, ever. Please, just stop this fighting. Don't be what you hate. Come back to us, Shine. I beg of you."

Tikal began to shed tears at this, and that triggered something in the angelic hedgehog. He held his head in severe pain as the weapons disappeared one by one in flashes of light. The wings began to digress back into his body, the markings began to digress as well, the quills began to get shorter, and the fur started to turn to white. Shine opened his eyes, which had turned back to ocean blue, and stared at Tikal with great regret and sorrow.

"Tikal...I'm sorry..." Shine said quietly. "I just wanted...the fighting...to stop."

He then drifted into unconscious as he reverted back to his original form. He fell foward, and Tikal attempted to catch him, but he phased through her. She suddenly remembered that she was just a spirit as Shine fell to the ground face-first, completely passed out. Tikal kneeled to his side, trying to check up on him as Knuckles sat up, watching the whole event.

"Man, that was too close for comfort." Knuckles breathed out. "Why the hell did all this happen?"

"I don't know, Knuckles." Tikal replied sadly. "I don't know."

The echidna priestess stared down at the unconscious hedgehog, silenltly wishing she could be able to stroke and provide at least a bit of comfort. Meanwhile, the broken Metal tried to use whatever strength he had left to stand up, but his body was unable to.

"Damn it!" Metal cursed. "If he hadn't transformed, he would have been mine. I have to get out here." Using whatever he had left, he opened his chamber revealing a yellow Chaos Emerald. He pulled it out and lifted it into the air. "I'll be back.** Chaos Control!"**

With the rest of his remaining energy, he teleported away in a flash of light. Knuckles saw this, and stared with a face that said "good riddance." But Tikal didn't even pay it any attention, as all her focus was on Shine, hoping he was alright.

* * *

The scene changes back to Asui and Havoc. They had just exited the Soleanna Forest and were now heading towards the direction of Angel Island. While Asui was focused on getting to their destination, Havoc looked down every few minutes at the unconscious form of Quimica in his arms, hoping that she would wake up at any moment.

"Come on, Quimica, wake up." Havoc pleaded.

"It's not going to make a difference." Asui stated coldly. "She's going to wake up when she has fully recovered from Cyrus' mind games."

"No need to remind me." Havoc muttered.

But what neither of them knew was that a ways off, the human from Station Square was watching them from afar. Concealing himself just to be safe, he watched the two of them travel on foot. He eventually smirked deviously to himself, so sure of himself.

"Soon, I'm going to show everyone I'm better than them." the human stated. "And no one's will be able to stop me from getting what I want."

**A miraculous escape and destructive battle will only lead to even more dangerous circumstances. What will Cyrus do next in his plans for the New World Order? What will happen next to those on Angel Island? And who is this mysterious that we know so little about? Find out in the next Heaven and Hell.**


	16. Coming of White Part 1

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Coming of White Part 1

The first thing Quimica saw as she awoke was the brightness of the sun. She groaned as she slowly moved her body around in ache. Moaning she tried to sit up, but as she was just off the ground, she felt something around her body. She looked down, and was surprised to see what was around her body was an arm. She followed it's length, and found it belonging to none other than Havoc, who was sleeping peacefully down on the ground on his side. The lynx's eyes widened at this sight, a blush appearing on her cheeks as she immediately rose to her feet without thinking. She breathed a bit heavily at the sleeping Havoc that was slowly beginning to stir, so many thoughts going through her head.

"So you're back." a feminice voice spooke from behind. "About time. I was wondering if you would ever wake up."

Quimica immediately spun around to meet with the sight of the Ice Queen, Asui, who was sitting down on a nearby rock, arms on her knees as she stared at the lynx with an ice-cold expression. Quimica stared in complete confusion as she held her head.

"Asui?" she asked confusedly. "Where am I? What happened?" Suddenly, the events involving Cyrus came flowing back to her. "Oh my God! Cyrus! He...he...he broke me! What's going on? Where are we? Are we captured? Did Cyrus win? Did..."

"Calm down." Asui interrputed coolly. "We're not captured. We're nowhere near that. Take a look around."

Quimica, deciding to take her advice, took a sight of her surroundings, and was thorughly surprised at it. She saw that they were not in her underground home, or even a holding cell. Rather, they were in an open field, miles away from any sort of city for none was in sight. She saw a pile of burnt wood layed in the center of a circle of stone, indicating a camp fire.

"What happened?" Quimica asked. "The last I remember was Cyrus and his Ops having us captured..."

"I'm not surprised you don't remember, considering the number that fox did on your will." Asui stated. "Well, here's the short version: Cyrus broke your will, but I was able to take him as a hostage, which allowed us to escape. You passed out just right after, which I think you needed to do, since you needed to heal after that blow Cyrus delivered."

"But where are we?" Quimica asked irritatingly.

"Here's the deal: We can't tell anyone about Cyrus' New World Order plan." Asui explained; Quimica looked in shock. "No one would believe such a thing coming from us without any solid proof. We'd be sent to the loony bin if we shouted out something like that. Havoc said he could sense where his brother was, and since we have nowhere else to go, we're following him."

"Quimica?" The lynx slightly jumped at the sound of the voice. She turned around to see Havoc, semi-awake as he looked at her. "Quimica?" His vision cleared, and he came to see chemist herself fully. "Quimica! You're alright!" Havoc shot towards her and wrapped her in a big hug, earning a huge blush from the lynx. "Oh Quimica, I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Havoc has been worrying about you ever since we escaped Cyrus' clutches." Asui told her. "He's been watching over you nonstop, always checking up on you and waiting for you to wake."

"Really?" Quimica asked in shock; Havoc realized what he had done and pulled away, blushing brightly. "Did you really worry that much just for me?"

"Y-yeah, I mean, it would've been really horrible if you just died." Havoc replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "You're kind of important to this whole ordeal, you know? It wouldn't be any good if..."

"Thank you, Havoc." Quimica said softly; she turned her head away shyly as she blushed. "I appreiciate it."

"Not to ruin this moment between you two..." Asui began. "But you do realize we're on the run right. We need to keep moving so we can find Havoc's brother, and hopefully find a way to take down Cyrus once and for all."

"Do you really think finding your brother will help us in any way?" Quimica asked the hedgehog.

"There's nothing else we can do." Havoc replied solemnly. "If Cyrus is after me, then he's also after him as well. We have to find him and make sure Cyrus doesn't capture him. Besides, I said some pretty mean things to him, and I need to make amends."

"Where are we right now, anyway?" Quimica asked.

"If I had to guess...I'd have to say we're just outside the Mystic Ruins." Asui answered. "The ruins of the once great Knuckles Tribe from 4000 years ago, destroyed by Chaos, the God of Destruction." Havoc and Quimica stared at her strangely. "What? So I know my history. I find it to be fascinating, give me a break."

"Whatever." Havoc shrugged. "According to my connection..." Havoc closed his eyes, concentrating. "My brother is..." He raised his hand, pointing to the west. "...That way."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Asui replied, standing up and brushing herself off. "Let's get going."

Quimica and Havoc nodded in response, and soon the three were on their way towards the Mystic Ruins. The black hedgehog's thoughts drifted to his brother. He wondered what would happen when he saw him again. Would he get yelled at, would he be hugged on sight, or would he be completely ignored? All these questions and more roamed through his head, but his thoughts were interrupted when he was nudged in the side by the icy cat.

"Havoc, have you had the feeling that we're being followed?" she whispered to him.

"...Now that you mention it, I've had been feeling like someone is watching our every move ever since we left Soleanna." Havoc replied suspiciously.

"I've had the exact same feeling." Asui told him. "Keep your eyes open for anything. Something is definitely up."

Meanwhile, from a nearby cliff, the same human from Station Square watched the trio walk away towards the Mystic Ruins. He looked on intently, standing up as his eyes narrowed intensely.

"Damn, they're getting suspicious of me." the human stated. "They might figure me out before they reach the second Twin. I guess it's time to reveal myself and take matters into my own hands."

* * *

Hope was sitting down on the porch outside of Tails' workshop, taking a sip from the cup of water in his hands. Many thoughts ran through his mind as he stared out into the open sky, contemplating intently on each and every one of them. He then stared down at the water in the cup, almost in a trance.

"Was it a good idea to bring them with me?" Hope asked himself. "At first, I felt alright, I felt like I could move on. But now...I don't know if it's was the right thing to do. I mean, can I really protect them? I couldn't even save those I loved years ago. How can I save Rena, Smash, or even Mina then? But...they're my friends, people who have made me happier than I've ever been in 10 years, especially Mina...Mina, oh Mina." He closed his eyes in frustration. "Dammit, I don't know what to do!"

"Dude, are you alright?" Hope turned his head to see Sonic with a worried look. "You've been talking to yourself in some angry manner."

"It's nothing, Sonic." Hope replied firmly, not wanting to tell him anything.

"It's not nothing, Hope." Sonic stated, sitting down next to him.

"It is really that obvious?" Hope asked.

"Of course, you really thrashed about in your sleep, plus you just talked to yourself, for a moment angrily I might add." Sonic told him. "What's going on, man?"

"You wouldn't understand." Hope replied coldly.

"Maybe, but we won't find out until you tell me, will we?" Sonic stated. "Plus, keeping it all inside is not doing good for you, obviously." Hope stared into his cup for a few seconds, before finally sighing.

"It's my friends." Hope relented.

"You mean Rena, Smash, and Mina?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, you see..." Hope gulped. "It's just that I don't if I can protect them you know."

"Protect them?" Sonic questioned. "Why would you worry about something like that? You totally kick ass in battle."

"You don't get it." Hope replied. "You see, a long time ago, I failed to protect two people I loved and cared about dearly, and it cost them their lives. I was powerless, I was too weak. Because of that, I refused to have anyone accompany me on my travels. But then, Rena, Mina, and Smash suddenl joined me. It all happened so fast I couldn't protest. I will admit, I've been happier then I've been in years, but the memory of what happened before still remains, to remind I'm too weak, that I can't protect them. It makes me question if bringing them with me was the right thing to do? I don't know what to do."

"Hey, listen to me." Sonic put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, but listend, you have to move on. I don't think they would be happy if you just let that event take you over. Hey, I have to protect my friends _and _the world. How do you think I feel? But in the end, I know I'll protect them because I have believe in myself. So just let go of your past and move on."

"Easy for you to say." Hope replied harshly. "You're the world-renowned hero, Sonic the Hedgehog. You always save the day. You always save your friends in the nick of time. It's not that simple for me. I'm not strong enough, I never was. I'm too weak. I wasn't fast or strong enough then, and I don't know if I'm fast or strong enough now."

"Damn, you got some problems." Sonic slightly chuckled; Hope glared at him. "Sorry. It just I see that a few optimistic and encouraging words won't fix your problems at all."

"Well then, what will fix my problems then?" Hope asked irritatingly.

"I guess you're going to have to find the answer to that yourself." Sonic stated. "But remember this: You have to move on from whatever happened to you in the past. Don't be consumed by the past, and make sure to live in the present. And live life to the fullest. That's what I always say."

Hope contemplated these words deeply, but just as he as about to reply, two figures were suddenly thrown out the door of the workshop. The two hedgehogs suddenly looked in shock as they saw the figures fall down to the ground, who happened to be Smash and Tails.

"Why in the hell did I even try to get involve with those two in the first place?" Smash asked himself. "That is the last time I let you convince me to do something crazy like that."

"How I was suppose to know it would get out of control?" Tails responded. "But note to self: never try to get between two arguing girls ever again."

Hope and Sonic looked at them in complete shock and confusion at what they just saw. Suddenly, they heard loud voices come out to the porch, and they turned their heads to see both Rena and Mina standing out on the porch, arguing with each other.

"Why the hell are you even here?" Rena shouted. "You're completely useless around here! You have absolutely no place here!"

"Well, if I'm so useless, then how come I was able to save your ass from Chaos back in Central City?" Mina retorted. "If anyone's useless, it's you!"

"Oh really?" Rena huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "Then you prove it! Oh that's right, you can't!"

"They're at it again?" Sonic exclaimed. "Man, they just keep arguing out of nowhere!"

"Why do they keep arguing, though?" Hope asked. "Honestly, there is absolutely no reason that they should be doing this? They're kinda alike, but yet they cotnineu do this!"

"I think I have a good guess as to why." Sonic stated, looking at Hope; the ivory hedgehog stared at him in confusion. "But that's not what is important." He looked at Rena and Mina, who were still arguing. "What is important is trying to stop those two before they do something stupid, like kill each other."

"...I'll take care of this." Hope stated, shocking the blue hedgehog. The ivory hero stood up off the porch and walked over to the women as they continued arguing.

"You know what I'm getting sick of you!" Rena exclaimed, twirling her staff dangerously.

"Same here!" Mina replied, covering her hands in green chaos energy. "Bring it on!"

The two girls growled as they got in each other's faces, ready to blow up and fight. But just as they were about to brawl, a pair of strong, firm hands gently pushed them away from each other. They looked at the owner of the hands, and their eyes widened as they saw Hope, his mouth formed into a frown.

"What are you two doing?" Hope asked.

"I'm about to teach Miss Pop Star here a lesson!" Rena told him, glaring at Mina. "She's way too full of herself!"

"As if!" Mina scoffed. "You're the one who needs to be taught a lesson! You're so damn annoying with our stupid attitude!"

"Oh that's it!" Rena shouted. "I am so gonna..."

"Please stop." Hope said softly. The two once again looked at Hope, and were treated to a sad, downcast look on his face. "Please stop fighting. I don't know the reason why, but there's absolutely no point in all of this. We're friends, and I think that we should start acting like we are. So please, just make up and forget this whole thing. I really hate seeing you two fight."

Hope then held his head down with a pleading look on his face. Mina and Rena suddenly realized what they had done to him, and looked at each other with an understanding of what they had to do. A moment of awkwardness followed, both girls trying to be able to say the words they were to say. And finally, Mina spoke first.

"I'm sorry, Rena." Mina apologized. "I'm sorry what I said about your personality. That optimistic attitude actually keeps us going, you know?"

"I'm sorry too." Rena apologized as well. "To be honest, you're an amazing singer, and you're a really great gal. Now that I think about it, we've been kinda stupid recently, haven't we?"

"Yeah, we have." Mina chuckled. "We shouldn't even have fought in the first place. So..." She held her hand out the fox. "...friends again?" Rena looked at it for a moment, then she took it and shook it.

"Friends." Rena replied with a smile. The two suddenly felt firm hands on their shoulders, and saw Hope, now with a big smile on his face.

"Thanks guys." Hope replied happily. "I really appreciate it? I knew you two could get along."

"Yeah, but couldn't you have done it sooner?" The three turned to Smash, who was holding his head in pain. "You two nearly killed me with your damn arguing!"

"Hey, your fault for actually getting off your lazy ass." Rena joked. The others laughed, while Smash blushed. Hope looked at his three friends with a smile on his face.

_"You know if I am going to lose these guys in the future..." _Hope thought._ "Might as well make every moment with them in the future last."_

"Well, glad you guys are all okay with each other." Sonic stated, pushing himself off the porch to the grass. "I'm going out for a little exploring around here. Anyone care to join me?"

"Count me in, Sonic." Tails stated joyously. "I've been to do a little more exploring around here for a bit."

"Thanks, buddy." Sonic replied. "Anyone else?"

Suddenly Hope, Rena, Mina all looked at Smash, devious looks across their faces. The wolf looked at three in confusion, until realization suddenly dawned on him, and he took on an expression of shock.

"Oh crap..." Smash groaned. "Don't I ever get a break?"

* * *

"Can we pick up the pace here, people?" Asui asked irritably. "Might I remind that we're on the run from a ingenious, psychotic fox."

"Please, be quiet." Havoc replied, equally irritabble. "Your damn nagging is really screwing with my concentration!" This earned a throbbing vein on the forehead of the icy cat.

"How far are we from where your brother is?" Quimica asked as the trio walked through the land of the Mystic Ruins.

"I think it's...maybe a few miles away." Havoc suggested. "We might make it there by nightfall if we hurry."

"Guess we better make a move on then." Asui sighed. The trio were about to speed up when...

"Oh hello there." a male voice spoke.

The trio stopped in their tracks at the sound of the unknown voice, and turned their attention to the right. The owner of the voice belonged to the human following them, and the human had a big bright smile on his face.

"Uh...who are you?" Havoc questioned.

"Oh, sorry, forgot to introduce myself." the male realized. "My name is Oliver White. Pleasure to meet you."

"Uh huh...so_ Oliver_..." Asui began, speaking the name with suspicion. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"You could say I'm a wandering explorer." Oliver answered. "I just go around exploring all the beautiful places in the world. I just love all the sights. I was going to see the Mystic Ruins when I ran into you guys."

"I see..." Asui said slowly.

"Hey, you know what, why don't I come with you guys?" Oliver suggested. "I don't have anywhere else to go, and I would be really happy to have some company." Before either Quimica or Havoc could respond, Asui stepped out and spoke first.

"Listen, not to be rude or anything, but I don't think we can bring you along with us." Asui told him. "We got a lot going on right now and we can't bring you into it. Sorry, but nice seeing you!" The cat suddenly grabbed her companions' arms and pulled them away with her.

"Oh don't be like that." Oliver smiled strangely, running up to them. "I'm sure that wherever you're going I can handle it."

"I told you that we..." Asui began, but was cut off when the human suddenly grabbed her arm. "What the hell are you doing? Let me go!"

"Sorry, but I can't do that." Oliver smirked, tightening his grip.

"Listen, either you let me go, or I swear I'll..." Asui was cut off when she'll felt a sudden shock to her body.

When the shock wore off, Asui's body went limp and her eyes went blank, falling into some sort of trance-like state. Oliver's smirk just grew wider as he took the body and threw it away, Havoc and Quimica just staring in shock.

"W-what the hell did you do to her?" Quimica exclaimed.

"Don't worry, she'll come to in a few." Oliver chuckled evilly, turning to the two. "But unfortunately, you won't be here when she does. I'm going to take that hedgehog away now, so say goodbye." The two froze in their tracks as he got into a stance. Several minutes passed by with nothing passing, and Oliver finally spoke. "...Uh, what were her powers?"

"W-what the hell...?" Quimica stammered.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!" Havoc exclaimed, taking her arm. "Let's just take this opportunity and get out of here!"

"But Asui...!" Quimica reminded.

"She can handle herself, you know that!" Havoc told her. "I, for one, though don't want to see what that human can do! So come on!"

The two then began to run away, and Oliver realized this as he looked up to see the two off in this. And at that moment, an unexplained burst of emotion came from the human, showing in the form of rage.

"YOU WILL NOT GO ANYWHERE!" Oliver roared; he shot out his hand towards them. "I HAVE GONE THROUGH TOO MUCH TO SIMPLY LET YOU GET AWAY NOW!"

The moment those words, a wall of ice suddenly formed out of nowhere and in front of the path of the Quimica and Havoc. While the lynx stood there in shock, Havoc knew that to be the power of Asui, who he rememberd from brief instances of what he could during his battle with the cat. The two turned towards the human, whose rage vanished as mysteriously as it appeared and smiled deviously.

"So that's how you use it." he mused to himself.

"Quimica, I think we're going to have to bring this guy down ourselves." Havoc told the lynx.

"Alright then." Oliver said readily. "It's time to take my rightful place at the top. And you, hedgehog, are my ticket there!"

**A new player has entered the battle for Gaia, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Will Oliver capture Havoc in the end? Will he and the others be able to escape his grasp? And will Hope learn to move one from this tragic event of his? Find out in the next Heaven and Hell.**


	17. Coming of White Part 2

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Coming of White Part 2

Silence filled the field as Havoc and Quimica stood off with the human known as Oliver White. The seemingly insane human simply gave them a creepy smile as the two were eying him very carefully, waiting for any opportunities that would present thesmelves.

"Now listen, I would rather not get into a fight right now to be honest." Oliver told them. "So, just surrender yourselves, we'll go to wherever you're going, and we can get everything prepared for me."

"Forget it!" Havoc sneered. "I don't know what you may be planning, but I know you want me! And I swear I will not be used for anyone's selfish goals ever again!"

"Again?" Quimica questioned; Havoc's eyes widened as he realized what he said.

"I don't care whether you want to come with me willing or not." Oliver stated. "In the end, you don't have a choice in the matter. And since you won't go with me willingl, I guess I have no choice to freeze your ass and force you to do what I say!"

"You honestly I think I will just let you do that to me?" Havoc growled, clenching his fists. "I rather die before I let myself go through that again!"

"I'm with Havoc as well!" Quimica said determinedly. "I'm tired of not being of any use during this whole damn ordeal! So just bring it, you psycho!"

"With pleasure." Oliver smiled wickedly.

The seemingly insane human wasted no time in starting the battle as he thrust his hand foward, and Havoc grabbed Quimica and jumped to the side instinctively as a large icicle suddenly formed where they once stood. Oliver, ran as fast as he could towards them, forming a sharp icicile in his hand and throwing it like a javelin at the two. Havoc, suddenly formed a small axe in his hand, and with a swing struck it against the approaching shattering it into pieces.

"You think I didn't come prepared for this!" Havoc exclaimed, summoning a second axe. "I knew that the day would come where someone like you came for me! So I prepared for this day for a long time, and I swear you won't take me alive!"

Oliver simply shrugged off the statement as he once again dashed towards the hedgehog, who raised his axes in defense, but suddenly a stream of water came out of nowhere and struck him right in the face, sending him down to the ground. Havoc was taken back, and turned to see Quimica with an outstretched hand.

"Combine both oxygen and hydrogen, and you get water." Quimica explained. "I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines, watching this whole mess pass by. I'm fighting too, and there's no way I'm going to let this bastard win! And once we win, please explain to me why all of this is happening!"

"...No point in arguing with a girl who has her mind set." Havoc stated. "But don't go crying if you wind up hurt."

"I don't plan to." Quimica said determinedly.

Suddenly the two heard a queit chuckle, and a few seconds passed as it got louder, and it soon exploded into full laughter. The two turned their heads to find the human laughing his ass off crazily as he laid on the ground. Both were taken back as Oliver sat up, still laughing like a maniac.

"Oh man, this is so rich!" Oliver laughed. "You two actually think you can beat me...You think that you're better than me...that I'm inferior!" Oliver sudden stands up. "Well, you're not. I am not inferior, you hear me?" His expression suddenly turn into of anger. "I AM NOT INFERIOR! AND I WILL PROVE IT ONCE I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, HEDGEHOG!"

The two were taken back, but Quimica's eyes suddenly trailed from Oliver to the sky. And that had turned into a good thing, as she saw that a few dozen icicles were formign right over their heads.

"Havoc, look out!" Quimica warned.

The dark hedgehog looked up instantly, seeing the same thing that she did, and just in time too. As the finished forming, Oliver brought his hand down, sending the icicles down upon the two. Quimica and Havoc jumped away from each other to avoid the incoming projectiles as they struck the ground. Oliver shot his hand out, spewing out a giant ice spike that suddenly sliced at Havoc's shoulder before he could react. Havoc grunted in pain as blood spewed out, Oliver taking his chance to charge at him, suddenly pulling out a pocket knif from his pocket. The hedgehog withstood the pain long enough to see the human stabbing for him, and brought one of his axes up to block it.

"Huh, you're still able to block?" Oliver questioned. "Well, we can't have that, now can we?"

"What the hell?" Havoc exclaimed. "Are you trying to kill me? I thought you needed for your stupid goals!"

"Yeah, I do, but you don't have to be in perfect condition." Oliver explained. "And it's so obvious you won't come with no resistance, so I'm going to have to hurt you a bit, if that's alright?"

"You're insane..." Havoc muttered.

Oliver smirked evilly as he jumped away, twirling his pocket knife in his hand. Havoc nervously raised his dual axes, not knowing what to expect from someone like him. And he didn't have to, as not a moment later, salt suddenly came from the right, and struck Oliver right in the eyes. A moment of shock ran through him before reacting, screaming in pain as the salt burned his eyes, crumpling to the ground as he held his eyes, trying to get it out.

"My eyes!" Oliver screamed, rolling on the ground almost comically. "My eyes are burning! They're on fire! The'y're on fire! Oh my God!"

Havoc sweatdropped at the sight and turned his head to the right, seeing Quimica who had a big grin on her face, as she had her outstretched, several small specks of salt remaining on her hand.

"A little sodium and chlorine, and presto, you get salt!" Quimica said proudly.

"Where the hell did you get sodium and chlorine?" Havoc asked.

"I always keep them as well as quite a few other elements and stuff in my lab coat." Quimica explained; Havoc stared dumbfounded. "What? It pays to come prepared."

"You're going to pay for what you did to my eyes!"

The two turned around, only to have Oliver's pocket knife suddenly cut across Havoc's chest. The hedgehog gritted his teeth as held in a scream of pain, blood pouring from the cut as he turned his head to meet with Oliver. The human's eyes were bloodshot red and squited tightly, burning from the salt he had thrown at him.

"I'm not going to let you get away with this!" Oliver proclaimed.

"Shut up, you talk too much!" Quimica exclaimed.

Quimica reached for the pocket of her lab coat and pulled out what seemed to be several pellets of silver. She threw them right at Oliver, manipulating the element into several small darts to strike him. Oliver was barely able to see this and created a wall of ice to block them. Havoc then swung his axe down on the human, but Oliver jumped away. But as soon as he landed, Quimica had already merged many silver pellets into one small spear and threw it at Oliver. The silver weapon sliced across his chest as he screamed in pain, staggering back from the attack. And after that, Havoc gave a swift kick to his face that sent Oliver flying backwards to the ground.

"Hmph, thought you would be stronger than this." Havoc smirked. "Guess I was worried for nothing."

"You think I'm weak..." Oliver muttered; a creepy smile came to his face. "Oh, you are so dead wrong about that."

Suddenly he shot up, thrusting his hands foward, and suddenly a giant wave of ice came out of nowhere, engulfing both Havoc and Quimica before they had a chance to react. When he had finished, both Quimica and Havoc were both encased within a 8-foot high wave of ice. The seemingly insane human's smile widened at this sight.

"That's what you get for seeing me as inferior." he chuckled. "Now all I have to do is get you out of there and..."

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a gunshot, and instictively he moved his body to the right, which was the right move as a bullet passed his body and struck the ice in front of him. He turned his head to see none other than an awakened Asui, holding one of her Desert Eagles in her hand, a look that said "now I'm pissed."

"Damn, I was hoping you stay asleep for a little longer." Oliver stated.

"You stole my powers, you son of a bitch!" Asui growled. "And you go pull this shit on us! If you think I'm going to let you get away with this, you're dead wrong! I am going to enjoy kicking your ass!"

With that said, Asui then reached for her bo staff that was strapped to her back, and pulled it out. She twirled it around her hand in a graceful motion as she stared intensely at Oliver, who was just smiling almost arrogantly at the sight before him.

"Oh, I'm so scared, it's a stick!" Oliver mocked. "Heh, what the hell are you going to do with something like..."

Oliver never got the chance as Asui shot towards him and struck her bo staff against his gut. Oliver's eyes widened as he gasped in pain, but then was kicked in the jaw by the icy cat, who then twirled around him and kicked his head from behind, sending his skidding across the ground face-first. Asui stood confidently, holding the bo staff behind her.

"Oh you didn't know?" Asui glared. "I am an expert practicioner of kung fu, taught by Master Shifu of Chine, one of the greatest masters of kung fu. If you think I'm going to down easily, then you're sadly mistaken. You're going to pay for stealing my powers, and I'll enjoy every second of that payback."

Oliver slowly pushed himself up to his feet, holding some of his areas in slight pain from her attack. He turned his head back to towards the cat, the creepy smile still pressed onto his face.

"I'm in no way inferior to you." Oliver proclaimed. "After all, I have your powers."

"Powers don't make the fighter, the fighter makes the powers." Asui stated wisely. "I learned that a long time ago."

"Why don't we put that theory to the test?" Oliver challenged.

"Gladly." Asui replied, twirling her staff into a fighting position.

* * *

"Come on, you guys, can't go any faster?" Sonic asked.

The world-renowned blue hero tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his companions to catch up with him. In no time at all, Tails caught up to Sonic, flying to him spinning his twin tails in a fast circular motion.

"You could at least slow down a little, Sonic, so we can keep up." Tails suggested.

"Me, slow down?" Sonic replied with amusement. "Oh man, the day that I slow down is the day the world ends!"

"You never change do you, Sonic?" Tails laughed lightly.

"Oh, good God..." Smash breathed out as he finally caught up with him, falling down to the ground on his back. "That was too fast and too much work. Couldn't you two slow down?"

"Quit being lazy, Smash." Sonic told him. "I heard about you from Hope. I know that the speed you displayed was nowhere close to your true speed, but your too lazy to actually even attempt it."

"Like I said, too much work." Smash said lazily. "I didn't even want to come in the first place. Only did because Hope and the others practically forced me to."

"Well, you better start learn to enjoy being her, because like I said, I'm not going to slow down one bit." Sonic smirked.

"Oh, that's just great..." Smash remarked sarcastically.

The three suddenly heard a sort of rumble from the distance, and Sonic and Tails snapped their heads to the left, Smash lazily looking in the direction that they were.

"What was that?" Sonic asked.

"It sounded like some sort of boom, or maybe a big attack of sorts..." Tails suggested.

"Probably some big fight is going on right now." Smash stated lazily, putting his hands behind his head. "I say we just stay and catch some Z's."

"No, we have to cheeck it out!" Tails retorted. "Someone could be in trouble!"

"Heh, no way I'm going to just simply ignore this!" Sonic grinned. "Time to see what's up!"

"You guys go on ahead." Smash suggested, making himself comfortable on the ground. "I'm going to stay here and rest for a bi...Hey!" Sonic and Tails would have none of his laziness as they grabbed him by the collar and literally dragged them with him. "Why does this happen to me of all people?"

* * *

Asui jumped away as Oliver threw yet another large icicle down upon her, and the icy cat dashed for and swung her bo staff for his head. The human ducked just in time and covered his hand in ice spikes, and thrusted it towards her stomach. The GUN Captain backflipped away, avoiding the stab and landing gracefully on the ground, staring intensely at Oliver.

"I must admit that you are dangerous." Asui stated. "But your use of the powers is amateurish at best. THose are my powers you're using, and I know how they work inside and out."

"Heh, the fact that these are your powers doesn't make a difference." Oliver smirked. "I'm way smarter and more cunning than you could ever be."

"Hmph, why don't you just try to prove such a statement?" Asui challenged.

Oliver took the challenge as he thrust his hand foward, and Asui instictively jumped into the air, where several ice spikes shot out of the ground surroundign the spot she once was. Oliver then formed an ice spike from his hand, extending its length toward the air bourne human smirked maniacally at her totally defenseless position, but was in for a shock as Asui gracefully twirled her body in mid-air, leaning it to the right, the ice spike passing her. She then grabbed it and swung on top of it, beginning to slide down its length toward Oliver. The human was in shock at what she did, and did not react as she expertly kicked him in the face. He staggered back, blood pouring from his nose, as she then landed a kick to his side. Oliver was helpless as he side exploded with pain inside, and Asui thrust her hand towards his chest, sending him down to the ground.

"Like I said, your use of those powers are amateurish at best." Asui told him, twirling her bo staff. "I have used those powers for many years, and trust me when I say they can be used more effectively than you using them now."

"Damn you..." Oliver muttered. "You really think my use of these powers are not that good? Oh, how you underestimate me so..."

Asui didn't take the statement seriously and was about to take a step towards him to finish this, but she realized that she couldn't move them. She looked down to the sight of her feet completely encased in ice. Her eyes widened in shock as Oliver chuckled evilly.

"I told you that I was smarter and more cunning than you." he stated.

"Shit!" Asui cursed.

Oliver suddenly jumped up, holding his pocket knife dangerously as he charged towards the immobile and stabbed for her. Seeing the imminent attack, she quickly reacted on instinct, grabbing his arm before the knife reached her stomach and, with all her strength, threw him far off the right.

"That should buy me some time!" Asui said to herself. She looked down to her encased feet. "Well, shooting the ice will likely result in shooting my own foot as well, so I guess I'm going to have to do it the old-fashioned way."

With that said, Asui raised her bo staff and began to strike the ice with it repeatedly, slowly chipping it away from her foot. Oliver, however, already recovered and shot yet another extending ice spike from his hand, aiming right for her head. Asui saw it just in time to move her head back, the ice nicking her cheek. Slighty pissed, she grabbed the ice spike, and with a great tug, pulled Oliver towards her. She twirled her bo staff before she swung it over his head, knocking him down to the ground once again.

"Damn it!" Asui cursed, once again chipping away the ice. "In this position, I can't do anything! I can't believe he stole my frickin' powers! Once I get myself free, that bastard is..."

She stopped herself mid-sentence, for when she struck the ice, it suddenly started to expand up on her bo staff. She could only watch in shock as the ice engulfed her bo staff, her arms, and her shoulders, immobilizing them.

"What the he..."

She was once again cut off mid-sentence, for she felt her shoulder suddenly get impaled from behind by a sharp object. Her eyes widened in pain as she coughed up blood. She turned her head, seeing Oliver's pocket knife stabbed right in the back of her left shoulder, the human's creepy smile as he looked at her.

"I told you not to understimate me, you bitch!" Oliver chuckled; he grabbed one of Asui's Desert Eagles from he belt, and pulled it out. "These are some nice guns you have here. Mind if I use them?" He pointed the gun at the back of her head. "Looks like this is the end, kitty-cat. Don't worry, I'll be sure to put the hedgehog to good use.

Asui could nothing but watch in horror as he slowly put his finger over the trigger. The cat saw her 18 years literally flash through her life, and the horror of not being able to complete her dream.

_"This can't be how it ends!" _Asui screamed in her mind. _"I can't let it end like this! Not before I achieve my dream, my ambition! I've gotta..."_

"Sayanora, kitty-cat!" Oliver grinned wickedly.

He slowly pulled the trigger...only to be struck in the face before he could do the deed. His body was in total shock as he was sent flying across the field. Asui could not believe what just happened as Oliver finally hit the ground, wondering what had just happened.

"Heh, looks like we made it just in time."

Asui turned her head to to the owner of the voice, and imagine her surprise when she saw the famous Sonic the Hedgehog standing before her, a confident smile on his face as he faced the seemingly insane human. Oliver lifted his head up, blood pouring from his mouth as he looked at the hedgehog with a hint of anger in his eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" Oliver demanded.

"The name's Sonic." he smirked. "Sonic the Hedgehog. I just happened to notice what you were doing, and let's say I don't approve of it one bit. So I'm here to put you on ice!"

"That was terrible!" Asui exclaimed.

"Everyone's a critic." Sonic muttered.

"You? Stop me?" Oliver laughed as he stood up. "You're not even worthy of kissing the ground I walk on. You're nothing more than trash! You're..."

Oliver once again was stopped as he felt an energy blast suddenly blast him in the face, once again sending him down to the ground. His body became marred with a few burn marks, his clothes torn up. His frustration slowly rising as he once again stood up, facing Tails, who had his Energy Cannon pointed at him.

"Looks like it was a good thing I brought my Energy Cannon with me." Tails stated. "It always pays to be prepared no matter what."

"I'm actually starting to get a little pissed here!" Oliver gritted, pointing the Desert Eagle at Tails. "So I'm going to make this short and sweet, and blast your brains..."

He was, yet again, cut off mid-sentence as he felt his arm suddenly grabbed out of nowhere. He looked downward to find Smash the Wolf, his hand having a firm grip on his arm as he wore his trademark lazy expression.

"Hey, don't you know it's dangerous to play with guns?" Smash stated.

And no sooner than he said those words, he swung his leg upward, connecting with Oliver's arm. Oliver stood in shock for a moment before he screamed in pain, dropping the Desert Eagle to the ground in response. Smash then swung his leg to his gut, forcing Oliver to cough more blood, and then delivered a strong uppercut to his jaw. Oliver was in a complete state fo shock as he was sent off the ground.

"All yours, Sonic." Smash announced.

With a slight smirk, Sonic rolled into a ball, and began spinning intensely in place, and shot off the ground towards the air-bourne Oliver. He struck him dead-on in the chest with his signature Spin Dash, causing the human to spurt out even more blood as he was sent crashing down to the ground. Sonic uncurled himselfas he landed on the ground, a somewhat dissapointed look on his face.

"That's it? Sonic asked. "I was kinda expecting a bit more, you know?"

Oliver struggled with all his might, blood and bruises all over his body, clothes torn up as he looked on in anger at the three newcomers. He thrust his hand foward, trying to call forth the stolen ice powers. But when nothing happened, he eyes widened in shock and realization. Asui suddenly felt a familiar surge of power run through her.

"My powers!" Asui exclaimed. "They've returned?"

_"Shit!"_ Oliver cursed in his mind. _"I've lost the powers back to her! I was so close, and then these three bastards come in and ruin everything! Why did happen? I've got no other choice but to fall back!"_

"Hey, are you going to keep this up or what?" Sonic called out.

"I swear, when I return, I will get my revenge, and prove that I am superior to each and every one of you!" Oliver proclaimed. And with that said, he ran away with all the strength he had left.

"Hey, wait!" Tails shouted, attempting to follow him.

"Let him go." Smash told the fox; Tails stopped to look at him. "There's no point in following him. He's been beaten, pretty badly I might add. There's no reason chasing after a defeated opponent. Plus, helping out these guys is more important right now."

"Wow, that actually makes sense." Sonic chuckled. "Are you sure you're not saying that so you don't have to 'do more work'?"

"Shut up." Smash replied lazily.

Sonic shook his head amusingly as he walked over to where Asui was, and with a swift kick, smashed the ice that encased her limbs. The icy cat moved her body and limbs as stretches before turnign to Sonic.

"Thanks for the help." Asui said shortly. "But I could've taken them."

"Yeah, that's what the position you were in suggested." Sonic joked; he was rewarded a kick in the face. "Okay, message sent. By the way, what's your name?"

"Asui Hikaru, GUN Captain." she introduced herself, as she took a hold of the knife in the back of her shoulder.

"GUN?" Tails asked surprisingly. "I never thought that one of its operatives would be way out here." He winced when he saw her pull of the knife. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Asui said indifferently, dropping the knife to the ground. "I've been through worse, trust me." She looked to the frozen wall holding her companions. "But now, if you don't mind, I need to get those guys out of there."

"Wow, now that is one big block of ice!" Sonic whistled.

"Yeah, well thank that asshole of a human, Oliver, for that." Asui growled. "He freakin' stole my powers, though they feel to have returned to me."

"I'll get them out." Smash stated simply, surprising everyone.

He walked over to the giant block of ice, lazily looking at it with little interest. Then, suddenly struck the ice with a swift punch. At first, nothing happened, causing Sonic and the others to doubt him. But then suddenly, cracks began to form where he struck, expanding all over the ice, and eventually it shattered completely. Sonic, Tails, and Asui stared in shock as Smash turned around and walked away lazily as Havoc and Quimica fell to the ground.

"How'd you do that?" Tails exclaimed.

"I'm stronger than I look." Smash simply replied. "Just because I'm lazy, doesn't mean I can't deliver a strong punch."

"Havoc! Quimica!" Asui called out as she ran over to them; the two were curled up into balls, shivering due to the intense cold. "Are you two alright?"

"W-what t-t-the h-hell happened?" Havoc stuttered.

"Oliver had frozen the both of you into a huge wall of ice." Asiu explained. "I fought him, but the bastard managed to immobilize me."

"T-then h-h-how...?" Quimica began.

"I had some unexpected help." Asui told them. "They were able to drive away Oliver, so we're safe for the time being."

"Man, you two look like you're going to get frostbite." Sonic stated.

"What do you expect Sonic?" Tails told him. "They were encased in ice for an extended period of time. It's not a surprise they're like this. In any case, we have to help them or they'll freeze to death. Let's take them back to my workshop."

"That won't be necessary." Asui interjected. "I can take care..."

"Listen, I know you're GUN, but I can tell you're far away from any place related to it." Sonic told her. "Those two are going to get hypothermia if we don't warm them up soon. And Tails' place is the closest there is. There, you can explain, why you're out here with these two. I'm very curious, you know."

Asui was about to retort when she realize two things: One, he was absolutely right that these two would freeze to death if somethign wasn't done quickly, and two, by looking in his eyes, she could tell he wasn't going to take no for an answer. In a rare occurrence, she resigned herself with a sigh as she stood up and walked over to grab her Desert Eagle off the ground. She was going to have to come up with a damn good explanation for this one.

**Oliver has been drive away, but now our trio of unlikely companions now have to reside with the Blue Blur and his friends. What will come from the encounter? Will they learn of the truth that they hide from them? And will Oliver return to take what he believes to be his? Find out in the next Heaven and Hell.**


	18. Calm Before the Storm

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Calm Before the Storm

Asui took a sip from her cup of cocoa, completely calm with her eyes closed as all eyes in the room were focused on her and her two companions, Quimica and Havoc, who were wrapped in blankets as they shivered, feet in tubs of hot water as they took subsequent sips from their cups of hot cocoa. The icy cat casted a lazy glance to all those in the room with them in Tails' workshop, examining them. Smash was lying down on the couch, totally uninterest in what was going on; Rena sat on the armrest, and had a warm, cheerful smile on her face; Tails, tinkered with an invention of his, glancing at the three with great curiousity; Mina sat in a chair and wondered why they were here; Sonic laid back casually and looked at them intently, and somewhat curious; and Hope stood in a corner, staring at three intently with a bit of suspicion. The cat took another sip from her cup.

"This is some nice cocoa." Asui stated.

"Thank you!" Rena beamed. "I made it myself! I've always had a knack for making the best cocoa out there!"

"I second that!" Sonic added. "I felt like I was in heaven when I tasted it! It was amazing!'

"It's okay, I guess." Mina mumbled. "Could've been better."

"Liar!" Rena exclaimed. "I saw you greedily drinking it earlier! You just don't want to admit it!"

"Ah man, now all this of cocoa is making me want some as well." Smash groaned. "Thanks a lot guys."

"Hey, we're supposed to be on the subject at hand!" Tails reminded them, referring to the three newcomers. "Not talking about cocoa!"

"Oh come on, you have to admit it's delicious." Sonic grinned. "You know, I could go for some cocoa..."

"Sonic..." Hope said sternly.

"Alright, fine, we'll get to back to the questioning!" Sonic replied loudly. "Happy now? Geez." He turned to the GUN Captain. "Okay, so spill it. Who are you and these two, and what are you doing all the way out here?"

Havoc and Quimica cast a slight glance to the cat between them, who looked at each and everyone of the occupants dead in the eye. She contemplated every possible scenario and route that she could take and was placed before. Without taking her gaze off them, she set her coffee down on the table in front of her. She cleared her throat a bit before speaking up.

"So you want to know?" Asui asked rhetoically. "Fine. I am Asui Hikaru, GUN Captain, and the reason we are here...is I'm escorting this young heiress and her fiance' to a safehouse."

Havoc and Quimica suddenly froze, blushing fiercely, and were about to turn towards the cat in shock, but then they felt the aura around her which obviosuly spoke "play along." Both of them stayed quiet, although now extremely uncomfortable with the situation.

"Heiress?" Sonic asked skeptically.

"That is correct." Asui lied coolly. "You see, Quimica, the female lynx here, is the heir to a multi-million dollar corporation that is GUN's biggest supplier. They are a great ally to us."

"How come we've never heard of this corporation you speak of?" Tails questioned.

"We like to keep such a relations secret." Asui told them. "Don't want any of our enemies know one of biggest corporate allies, right? We can have an idea how nasty corporate politics can be."

"So how does this factor into why you are here?" Rena asked curiously.

"I was getting to that." Asui stated. "You see, unfortunately, the owner and CEO of the corporation is nearing the end of his days. He is suffering from terminal illness, and it's only a matter of time before he meets his end. Quimica here is his daughter and his heir to the corporation. He found no one else worthy to run it after his death. But, a few of our enemies found out about the alliance they had with us, and sent several assassins to hunt down this girl."

"Why?" Mina asked.

"Because if you kill the only named heir to the company, then the higher executives will suddenly fight for control. The ensuing struggle will destroy the company from the inside. And we can't have that."

"And let me guess, you were assigned to protect her, right?" Smash stated.

"That is correct." Asui replied. "I am one of GUNs most successful operatives. I have a 100% success rate on all missions assigned to me so far. So the Commander thought it would be best if I watched over her."

"So why is he here?" Sonic questioned, pointing to Havoc.

"Havoc here is Quimica's fiance'." Asui stated calmly; Havoc adjusted himself uncomfortably. "The two have been engaged for three months. As you can tell by their gestures and movments that their aren't comfortable talking about their relationship so openly like I have yet. He refused to leave her side, so I had no choice to take him with me as well."

"And you said you were taking the two to a safehouse?" Tails pointed out.

"Once again, you are correct." Asui replied. "In an attempt to protect the heiress until we've smoked out our enemies, I was assigned to escort her and her fiance' to one our safehouse's. There, she would be under guard until iwe have taken out all the assassins. The road their just happened to pass through the Mystic Ruins."

"Why didn't you just take her by helicopter or have an army take her?" Rena questioned curiously.

"Because at urgent as it is, we also need to be discreet and stealthy about this." Asui explained. "Taking her by flight would have made her an easy target in the air, I have no doubt about that. And a huge unit would have caused an uproar among the society, and give away our position easily."

"And that Oliver guy we fought..." Sonic began.

"Was an assassin as well." Asui finished. "He was one of the hired killers that was lucky enough to find us before we could get to our destination. He came up to us, with a cheerful facade, and suddenly stole my powers, knocking me out momentarily. He then froze the others into that giant block of ice. I woke up in time to stop him from killing them, thankfully. I tried fighting him off, but I clearly underestimated him, and was immobilized. He was about to kill me when you three came in, and you know the rest."

The icy cat, finished with her story, took her cup off the table and once again sipped from it calmly. Havoc and Quimica fidgeted in their positions, clearly uncomfortable with what Asui had told the others, blushing ever slightly. Asui, however, impressed even herself with the lie she told. she looked at each one intently, hoping they would buy the story. Several moments of silence passed between the two groups, the icy cat beggining to worry they weren't buying it. Suddenly, Sonic spke up...

"Works for me." Sonic shrugged.

"Same here." Smash added lazily.

"Poor girl." Mina stated sympathetically.

"I know, right." Rena replied sorrowfully. "It's wrong how she's being targeted when she hasn't even done anything yet. So tragic."

Asui was slightly taken back, but managed to keep a face of composure in front of them. Honestly for a moment during the silence, she didn't expect them all to buy into the story like this.

"So what's the name of this corporation that supplies you?" Tails asked.

"Sorry, that's classified information." Asui stated.

"Oh come on!" Rena whined. "Please tell us!"

"I've already told you too much as it is." Asui informed them. "I cannot reveal anymore than I already have."

"I'm cool with that." Sonic replied; an idea popped into his head. "Hey, why don't you guys stay here for the night?"

"What?" Asui said surprised.

"Yeah, I mean after what happened, you guys not in any shape to go anywhere, especially those two." Sonic explained, referring to Quimica nad Havoc. "So, why don't you three rest up here for the night? We won't mind, right Tails?"

"Yeah, I would be more happy to let you sleep here for the night." Tails confirmed.

"Heh, normally I would say no, but I can tell you're the kind of guy who won't take no for an answer." Asui chuckled. "Plus, you make some valid points. I guess we can stay for the night."

Quimica nodded in agreement as Asui took another sip from her cup of cocoa. She had apparrently fooled them all and kept her mission intact and secret. Nothing could go wrong. But unknown to either of them, Havoc looked down with a somber expression on his face, his mind made up on a certain matter. He looked up towards Hope in the corner, and spotted the intense, suspicious gaze the swordsman held on the him.

* * *

The scene switches to Eggmanland, inside the doctor's work room where he created his own personal creations. Right now, Metal Sonic laid down on the work table as Eggman finished the last of his repairs on the machine.

"I trust you to do one task, and this is what happens!" Eggman grunted furiously.

"I could've brought him back, but fate had other plans, unfortunately." Metal stated calmy. "At least I kept the Chaos Emerald."

"Maybe, but that still doesn't excuse the fact that you failed!" Nega retorted.

"With all due respect, how could I have won when I was facing against that...monster." Metal pointed out, remember the battle clearly. "I thought I could take it, but as I fought it, I could feel its power, and now, lying here, that I was no match for it. And that's saying something."

Eggman wrenched in the last repairs as he Metal spoke those words. He put his tools down and backed away, allowing the metallic doppleganger to sit up and jump off the table. The blue machine flexed his robotic limbs as he analyzed his functions.

"All functions are operating at full capacity." Metal announced. "Weapons are at 100%, and Chaos Energy distribution is functioning perfectly."

"Good, I don't want you to become expendable." Eggman pointed out; Metal clenched his fists. "I refuse to let these two out of my grasp. I've lost too many times to simply give up here!"

"..."

"The products of Project Gaia will be mine!" Eggman proclaimed. "This I swear! I'm going to take care of this myself this time! Tomorrow, I will capture my You're coming with me Metal. I wouldn't mind a little help, and I want you, along with anyone else there, to witness my moment of triumph!"

_"Perfect." _Metal thought. _"I can use this to my advantage. If it unleashes it monstrous power, I'll just let Eggman distract it. Once it take cares of this bumbling fool, I'll take the opportune moment and take it down. Soon, I will be free from this idiot of a scientist, and the world will bow down to Metal Sonic!"_

* * *

"FIANCE'!" Quimica yelled. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING TELLING THEM THAT!"

Back at the Mystic Ruins, Asui, Quimica, and Havoc, the latter two now properly warmed up, but still with blankets around their bodies, were now outside of the workshop, a relative distance away. Asui calmly sat on a rock as Quimica chewed her out, Havoc standing a ways off with the same somber expression as before. The cat stood her ground as the Crazy Chemist vented out her outrage.

"I had to come up with a believable story." Asui stated as if it was the obvious.

"But why did you say me and Havoc were engaged?" Quimica screamed; Havoc looked away embarassed. "Do you have any idea how I felt when you suddenly announced that! I had never felt more awkward, uncomfortable, or embarassed than that moment right there! Why didn't you tell them the real reason we were here, which by the way I don't know fully, since I was dragged into this!"

"Listen...what's happening involving the three of us must remain secret." Asui explained. "The mission that I'm on that has unfortunately sucked you in is completely classified. And it has to remain that way, because if the whole truth gets out to the world, then trust me, all hell will break loose. And telling all this to a world-famous hero, not a good idea, because I guarantee he will want to get involved, and anything involving him makes world news."

"Okay, you made your point." Quimica conceded. "But I really want to know just what is the real deal going on, since I'm now sucked into this whole thing."

"I guess you do deserve an explanation for this whole mess." Asui admitted. "But not here. I will explain everything when we get to our destination..." She glanced to Havoc. "...wherever that may be."

"Okay, so when do we leave?" Quimica asked.

"First thing in the morning." Asui answered. "Sonic and his friends are right that we need to rest after that run-in with that damn Oliver, but I don't want to stay here longer than needed. Understood?"

"Crystal clear." Quimica nodded.

Unknown to either of them, Havoc looked at the two with a sad, regretful expression on his face. _"Sorry, you two..."_ he thought. _"But unfortunately, this is something I have to deal myself...and myself alone."_

* * *

Soon enough, nightfall had come, and in no time everyone had fallen asleep. Not a sound was made as everyone slept soundly...except for maybe the loud snoring of Sonic. But suddenly, a door cracked open, and it swung fowards, revealing the figure of Havoc. The dark hedgehog looked around the surrounding a bit, tightened the bandanna arund his neck, adjusted his Yang necklace, and started through the workshop. He walked quietly and cautiously, as to not wake up anyone. He slowly opened the front door, and walked right outside. Without a look back, he walked off the porch and started towards the stairs down the hill. He stopped for a moment, feeling for his brother through his connection, and was about to take another step when...

"So predictable."

Havoc froze at the spot, stiffening at the sound of the voice. Slowly, he turned around to face the GUN Captain herself, standing on the porch with her arms crossed over her chest, a cold look on her face.

"Are you really this stupid?" Asui asked bluntly. "Do you think you're doing any good just leaving us like this?"

"I have to do this on my own." Havoc stated. "This is my problem, and mine alone. You wouldn't understand. I'm doing everyone a favor."

"What about Quimica?" Asui reminded. "Are you really just going to waltz up and leave her? It may have only been two days, but I can tell she likes you...a lot, even if she doesn't admit it."

"I shouldn't let feel that way about me." Havoc answered harshly. "I'm a monster. I hurt anyone that I become close to. Quimica has been dragged into something she shouldn't have been apart of, and now look at what's happened to her. She's better off without me."

"So selfish." Asui breathed. "I've met guys like you, who always think they have to do everything by themselves, that anyone else is a burden to them. I may be a cold as ice, but even I know that those kind of people just end up dead."

"Like I said, you don't understand." Havoc simply replied. "This is my problem, and my problem alone."

"Geez, I never knew you were so thick-headed."

Right behind Asui came out Quimica the Lynx, a serious expression on her face. Walking right past the GUN Captain, she walked right up to the dark hedgehog and looked him dead in the eye. But Havoc stood his ground.

"Look Quimica, this is for your own good." Havoc reasoned. "Just go back to bed and..."

He was promptly interrupted with a resounding slap to the face. Havoc stood there stunned at what just happenned, the print of Quimica's hand visible on his cheek. Asui just watched everything unfold as Havoc slowly turned back to the lynx, who looked at him with a sorrowful expression.

"Do you know how long I have been alone?" Quimica asked him. "Ever since my father died in that accident, I have been an outcast. A freak in the eyes of everyone. I had no one but myself to rely on. I could never leave that place because I had nowhere else to go. I started to grow distant to the world, but then you came along. You're the first friend I've ever had in years, and for the first time in a long time, I feel...happy. I may have been sucked in, but I'm actually glad I was brought into this. I may not know the whole story, but I wouldn't have changed anythiing that has happened. So please...don't leave me."

Havoc could only stare in shock as the words of Quimica rang through his head like crazy. He took in every single word and digested it, unable to believe her feelings on the matter. Then, out of nowhere, he pulled Quimica in and gave her a tight hug, surprising the chemist.

"I'm sorry..." Havoc sighed. "I guess I was so wrapped in my own world, my own problems, that I truly didn't consider how you actually felt. I just..." He paused. "...Let's just say my life hasn't been all that great."

"I understand." Quimica nodded sympathetically. "But, like it or not, I'm a part of this now, and to be honest, I want to be. I'm with this until the end."

"As am I." Asui stated proudly, stepping foward. "It's my mission to keep you out of the hands of those wil evil intentions. Besides..." Asui cracked the faintest of a smile. "...I"m starting to warm up to you."

Havoc could only smile in genuine happiness at what he was hearing. For the first time in a long time, things were actually looking up for him. Now all he had to do was make up with his brother, and everything would turn out right.

"Okay, now that we have this corniness of a scene over with, let's get the hell outta here." Asui stated firmly.

"Huh?" Quimica and Havoc said cluelessly.

"I said we leave first thing in the morning, and I believe it's 12:01 AM." Asui explained. "Therefore, we're going to go with Havoc's idea and leave right now. Besides, I don't want to take the chance Sonic is going to want to come with us. I have enough to deal with in the form of you two."

Both Havoc and Quimica couldn't help but chuckle at those words of the GUN Captain. The icy cat gave them one final nod before heading out, the other two following suit. Without a look back, the trio left the workshop and towards the location of their brother.

* * *

The scene again changes to the GUN Labs at HQ, the lair of Cyrus Tech. Said fox was at this sitting down in front of a monitor, looking intently at it without blinking even once. On the monitor was an electronical map of the Mystic Ruins, and a single blue dot was on it, blinking on and off as it it moved as it slowly moved to the right. Cyrus analyzed the movement of the blue dot, calculated the trajectory, and predicted its final destination. A GUN Op came into the dark room, and stood before the GUN Colonel. Without turning around, Cyrus spoke to the Op.

"Prepare a small airship and unit for me." Cyrus ordered. "Tomorrow, we head for Angel Island."

* * *

"Where the hell did they go?" Sonic asked annoyed.

The sun had risen over the horizon, signifying the arrival of morning. All the occupants of the workshop had woken up with a big smile on their face...except for Smash, whose was out cold over the armrest of the couch. But it quickly turned to shock when they found that Asui, Quimica, and Havoc were nowhere to be found. Confused and concerned, everyone looked everywhere in the area for the three, but they all came up short in their searches. The group was completely stumped as they stood in the living room.

"Did someone kidnap them?" Mina suggested.

"I doubt it." Tails answered. "Havoc and Quimica did not seem much, but that Asui looked like the real deal. I doubt any normal kidnapper could've taken her out, and a strong one would've created a struggle, which there are no signs of."

"So what happened to them?" Rena wondered.

"They left." Smash said lazily; everyone shot their heads toward him, surprised he was awake. "It's so obvious. I mean, how else could they be gone. My guess is that they left in the middle of night, while we were all asleep. I would've done the same thing."

"B-but why?" Rena stammered. "We were so nice to them. What reason did they have to leave like that?"

"Looks like I was right in my suspicions." Hope stated out of nowhere.

"Suspicions?" Mina asked curiously. "What do you mean 'suspicions'?"

"It's just...I just couldn't buy the cat's story." Hope explained. "It didn't feel...right. What really gaveme suspicions was the look in Havoc's eyes. They seemed to have told an entirely different story than what Asui told. I wasn't too sure, but I'm certain that story was a lie if they took off in the dead of night."

"You know, I had some of my own suspicions." Tails admitted. "So I did some research. Just before we went to bed, I looked up all the major corporations that were viable candidates for this secret supplier of GUN that Asui told us."

"And what did you find out, buddy?" Sonic inquired.

"Many of the CEOs had no daughter, and those who did not fit Quimica's description." Tails announced. "The story Asui told us was a lie. I don't know the real truth they were here, but I was going to question them about this before they left. But...you can obviously tell that's not happening."

The whole room fell silent, knowing full well that most of them had been fooled by the GUN Captain. They all stood there, unknowing of what to do now, when suddenly, a ball of red light suddenly came through the roof and appeared in the middle of them. Before anyone could react to this sudden occurrence, it suddenly exploded in a flash of light, blinding everyone momentarily. When the light died down, everyone stared in shock as a familiar orange echidna priestess stood before them.

"Tikal!" Sonic exclaimed.

"Sonic, Tails!" Tikal panicked. "Thank Chaos I've found you both. Listen, you need..."

She stopped as she turned her head around to see Team Crystallix. Each member just looked on in absolute shock at what they were seeing. Hell, even Smash was sitting up intently at the sight of the echidna.

"Uh, may I please know who these people are?" Tikal asked.

"No time for introductions." Sonic replied. "What are you doing here, Tikal? You souded scared! What's happened?"

"Oh Sonic, you have to come to Angel Island!" Tikal pleaded.

"Huh, why?" Sonic questioned.

"Something's happened!" Tikal explained worriedly. "I need you and Tails to come quickly!"

"But why?" Tails asked confusedly.

"Just please come." Tikal pleaded softly. "I'll explain everything when you get there."

"...Alright, Tikal." Sonic sighed. "We'll get there as fast as we can."

Tikal allowed the faintest of a smile spread across her features for a moment before she turned into a ball of light again and floated away back through the roof and to Angel Island. Sonic and Tails looked towards Team Crystallix, who were still in utter shock at what had just transpired.

"What the hell just happened?" Hope muttered.

"Who was that?" Mina questioned.

"And wasn't that an echidna?" Smash added thoughtfully.

"I thought echidnas were extinct." Rena said confused.

"Like I told Tikal, there's no time for explanations." Sonic told them. "She seemed very worried, and I don't think we should keep her waiting. Looks like we're heading to Angel Island. So, if any of you guys want to come, now's your only chance."

"Well, I'm not sure what's going on...but she seemed troubled, and I just can't pass helping someone, so I'm in." Hope answered; the rest of the team nodded.

"So, where's Angel Island?" Rena inquired.

"Several thousand feet in the sky." Sonic replied nonchalantly; the team's jaw droppped. "Don't worry. We have a way to get there. It might be a little low on space, but it'll get us there." He turned to the two-tailed fox. "Tails..."

"Got it, Sonic." Tails nodded. "Time to bring out the Tornado III!"

* * *

The scene changes back to Angel Island to the top of the Master Emerald Shrine. The ball of red light flew up to the island and transformed back into Tikal on the Shrine. She then turned towards Knuckles and Chaos, where they were kneeling around an unconscious Shine, laying across the stone with a peaceful expression on his face. Sadness filling her, she turned to the Master Emerald Guardian.

"I've told Sonic and Tails to come." Tikal informed them. "I hope we aren't going overboard asking them here."

"To be honest, we have no choice." Chaos explained. "Shine has been unconscious ever since that transformation of his two days ago. This is starting to look bad. And we don't know anyone else who we can turn to."

"Hopefully Tails can figure out what's wrong with him." Knuckles stated. "But I don't get why Sonic has to come as well."

"Sonic was with Tails when I came to his workshop." Tikal explained. "I had no choice but to tell him as well."

"Figures." Knuckles replied.

"It may work out." Chaos proclaimed. "If Shine wakes up and goes through that transformation again, Sonic can help up fight it off. He has been able to pull through in the end."

"Yeah, I guess." Knuckles said unconvinced. "What I want to know is what exactly is Shine. When he changed, his power was almost god-like! To be honest, it kinda scared me."

The three were silent as the mystery of Shine thickened between the three of them. Tikal walked to the sleeping hedgehog and kneeled down, looking over him. Tears began to form in her eyes as the gentle soul who had promised her life lay in this state.

"Shine...please be alright." Tikal pleaded desperately.

* * *

The scene alternates to the Mystic Ruins, a ways off from the current location of the Asui and her companions. The land was deserted except for one soul walking across it. Oliver White walked through the Ruins with a confident, calm, yet insane air about him. Bandages were wrapped around his body under the clothes he wore from his earlier battle, with a bandage over his left eye. He twirled a spare pocket-knife in his hand with great anxiety - his eyes gleamed dangerously with unpredictability.

"All the players and pieces are coming together." Oliver said thoughfully. "I can feel it! Soon I will prove myself as the superior being. Soon, I will have my vengeance. The Gaia Twins will be mine, and no one will stop me!"

**The calm is about to end, and the storm is about to begin as everyone comes together. Who will win in this upcoming battle? Will Shine wake up from his supposed coma? And what is the ultimate truth behind the Gaia Twins? Find out in the next Heaven and Hell.**


	19. Project Gaia Part 1

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Project Gaia Part 1

The scenery begins near the coast of the Mystic Ruins, and it was here where we see our Quimica, Havoc, and Asui walking through the land. The cat and lynx were following the dark hedgehog, who was concentrating as he walked foward, his eyes closed and his hand raised near to his head as if to sense something. The GUN Captain formed an irritated expression on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest and spoke.

"How much farther, Havoc?" She asked irritably. "We've been walking for hours and we've come across nothing."

"Hey, give me a break!" Havoc snapped back. "It's hard when I this isn't something I do on a regular basis!"

"Yeah, lay off of him a bit, Asui." Quimica supported. "I mean, doesn't he already have enough on his mind?"

"Whatever, just get us there faster!" Asui huffed. "We've already wasted enough time, and can't afford to waste anymore!"

"Hey, how do you think I feel?" Havoc growled. "I need to find my brother before something happens to him! He can barely take care of himself as it is!"

"You know I've been wondering..." Quimica said aloud. "If you have really have a brother, why is he separated from you like this? I thought brothers stick together." Havoc's expression suddenly turned somber; the lynx noticed immediately. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to..."

"No...it's alright." Havoc replied solemnly. "You see, what happened was I was always worried about use being found out about someone, and used for their own selfish reasons. My goal was to keep us isolated, always on the move, and not get close to anyone. But my brother, Shine, just couldn't go by that life. He was always a free spirit; he always wanted to make friends, and make everyone happy. He went and grabbed attention just to spread some cheer, but I didn't like that. In my anger, I yelled at him, called him an idiot. He suddenly fired back, stating that I didn't have to worry about him anymore, and that we were no longer brothers. He ran away after that. Now, if I could redo that moment, I would take back all the things I said in a heartbeat."

Silenece overtook the group as Havoc wallowed in his regret and sorrow, Quimica just staring in shock and pity at the hedgehog, and Asui watched the whole thing unfold, listening intently to the words spoken. As the group walked, the chemist slowly put her hand on Havoc's shoulder, surprising the dark hedgehog as he turned towards Quimica, who had a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry that happened." Quimica told him. "Family should never fight like that, but I'm sure your brother will forgive you."

"Yeah right." Havoc scoffed. "He proabably hates me now, and he's right to do so."

"Stop being so hard on yourself." Quimca scolded. "From what you told me, your brother doesn't seem like the type to hold a grudge, let alone hate someone. I'm sure that once you two talk it out, all will be fine."

"...You're right, Quimica." Havoc replied firmly. "Shine couldn't hold a grudge even if his life depended on it. I'm sure things will smooth over."

"Um, not to break up this moment but..." Asui started, earning their attention. "...We're at a dead end."

Havoc and Quimica looked at her with puzzled expressions before turning back their vision in fron of their path. They immediately stopped in their tracks when they realized that they had reached the end of land. In front of them was the coast, the ocean's waves lapping right along it. Havoc stared on in shock and confusion as the GUN Captain looked at him angrily.

"Explain to me why we're at the coast with your brother nowhere in sight?" Asui growled.

"I...don't understand." Havoc stated confusedly. "I followed my senses to this exact spot. I'm almost 100 percent certain this is where he should be."

"Well, it's obvious you were wrong, and now we're stuck in the middle of nowhere!" Asui berated.

"Hey, give him a break!" Quimica shot back. "He did the best he could!"

As the two girls over Havoc's supposed mistake, the hedeghog wondered what went wrong. His senses to his connection led him right here, and it didn't make sense. Suddenly, he felt that same connection pull upward. He slowly looked up, his eyes completely entranced. Slowly, he lifted his finger up towards the sky, which the two women noticed immediately.

"Up there..." Havoc said; Asui instantly realized the answer.

"Angel Island..." the cat mutterred. "An island floating high in the sky...Just our luck!"

"Are you serious!" Quimica exclaimed.

"Yes, I've brushed up on my history, remember?" Asui reminded her. "I have no doubt that Havoc is probably pointing straight at that island. It's right next to the coast, which is where we are now."

"But if that's the case, then how did Havoc's brother get all the way up there?" Quimica questioned.

"I don't know, and right now that's not the issue." Asui stated firmly. "The issue is how the hell do we get up there!"

Quimica was taken back by the sudden question, and held her head down, being stumped on an answer. Havoc, having silently listened to the two, looked down towards his hand, contemplating on what to do. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head, and he knew what he had to do.

"There is a way..." Havoc said quietly; the two girls looked at him again. "I have these...dangerous powers, you see?"

"Yes, I already know that from experience." Asui said bitterly; Quimica tilted her head curiously.

"Well, so does my brother, and unfortunately, we don't have full control over these powers." Havoc explained. "But you see, unlike my brother, who has absolutely no control over his powers, I have learned to harness my inner powers for at least up to a few seconds. Any longer and I will be taken over. I'm not confident though I can even hold it for THAT long, but I have no choice. The powers I will gain will help us get to Angel Island."

"Okay, go for it." Asui stated calmly.

"W-what!" Havoc stammered off-guard. "You're actually want me to do this? And you're not scared at all?"

"We don't have any other options." Asui pointed out. "And to be honest, I have full confidence you'll pull through with this. I trust you with this."

"Asui..." Havoc spoke quietly.

"So do I, Havoc." Quimica stepped foward, putting her hand on his shoulder. "I obviously don't know what this 'power' you're talking about is, but Asui's right. We have no other way to get there. I have faith in you."

The words of encouragement seem to motivate the dark hedgehog as he gave a smile and nod to her. She motioned them for to get back, and followed his instructions. He held up his right arm with his left hand placed right on it, and closed his eyes as he concentrated. Quimica looked on in interest, while Asui just stared with a stone cold look on her face. Sweat began to pour down the hedgehog's body as he concentrated to bring out his inner power. His forehead knitted together as he felt it coming up like a rising geyser, and began to direct it to his arm. A few mintues later, his upper right arm exploded in darkness, surprising the two girls. His right arm turned pitch black with a spike on his elbow, and razor sharp claws. And with a mighty roar, concentrating on the his spiritual connection, he swung his arm downward, his claws cutting through the air as though it were butter, creating a rift. Swiftly, he turned to his two companions.

"Jump in!" Havoc shouted. "No time to stand and gawke, it could close any minute! Come on!"

And with that said, Havoc immediately jumped into the rift, and Quimica and Asui reacted on instinct and followed him in. But as the rift began to close, another figure came out of nowhere and raw towards it. He jumped towards it, and was able to get through it just as it closed behind him.

* * *

The scenery changes to the sky high above the Mystic Ruins, the clouds moving through it in a peaceful motion. And in the sky, we see a large blue, two-seated biplane with yellow stripes running around the front, sides, and wings of the plane. Flying through the air, Tails was piloting the plane from the front seat, while Mina and Smash were squished together in the back seat. Sonic stood on the lower right wing while Hope stood on the lower left, both holding on to the cabane struts of the wings and Rena was on top wing, holding on as she smiled with absolute joy.

"The plane could've had a little more room." Mina commented.

"Sorry, never expected to be taking so many people on one trip." Tails replied apologetically.

"I don't mind." Hope stated. "And I'm sure Rena doesn't mind at all."

"This is totally awesome!" Rena shouted joyously.

"She sure is a lively one." Sonic joked.

"Tell me about it." Smash groaned. "She can be a real handful at times."

"So how far away is this Angel Island?" Hope questioned. "That Tikal girl made this seem like a real emergency."

"I'm pretty positive that we'll be there soon." Tails answered. "It's not that hard to miss. But you are right about Tikal. She was extremely worried about something."

"Just who is she anyway?" Mina asked.

"She's a spirit that resides in a powerful gem called the Master Emerald." Tails explained. "She lived about 4000 years ago, but she gave up her life to save the world, becoming a spirit in the process."

"Yeah, she's helped us before in the past." Sonic added. "So it's only fitting we help her back with whatever she needs help with."

Hope only nodded in response as his thoughts drifted back to the trio of Havoc, Asui, and Quimica, wondering what why they were in the Mystic Ruins and what their goal was. But as he took on these thoughts, Tails noticed something coming up in the distance.

"Guys, Angel Island coming up!" Tails announced.

Everyone's attention was caught as they looked up to see the island floating right in the middle of the sky, jungles, lakes, and a huge mountain occupying it. Team Crystallix could not help but stare in awe at this amazing sight, while Sonic flashed his signature grin.

"Full speed ahead, Tails!" Sonic exclaimed eagerly.

* * *

The scenery switches to the majestic Angel Island, at the Master Emerald Shrine, where Shine still laid across the top near the giant Emerald in a comatose state. Knuckles sat upon the steps, eyes closes with peaceful look on his face. Chaos stood on the edge of the shrine, looking out to the sky, contemplating on all the recent events, and Tikal kneeled down beside the unconscious hedgehog, hands clasped together as she prayed.

_"Please let Shine be alright." _Tikal silently prayed; Chaos took notice of her actions. _"I may have only known Shine for a short while, but he doesn't deserve it. He's such a kind soul, and wishes for only the happiness in life. I don't know what's wrong with him, but my only wish as of now is for Shine to wake up. Please, let him wake up."_

"Uuuuhhhhhh..."

Tikal's eyes snapped wide open at the sound she just heard, as well as both Knuckles and Chaos. As if her prayers had been answered, Shine's mouth emitted a small groan, and he slowly began shifting in place. The red echidna and watery god immediately joined Tikal at the side of the pure-white hedgehog.

"Shine...?" Tikal spoke quietly.

And sure enough, the hedgehog's eyes slowly fluttered open as he regained consciousness, first seeing the trio before him. Still too hazy to process anything, he pushe dhimself off the ground into a sitting position, and began rubbing his eyes, before turning to back to the three with sleepy eyes.

"Tikal...is that you?" Shine asked sleepily.

"Shine!" Tikal exclaimed, immediately waking Shine out of his stupor. "I was so worried about you!"

"Huh?" Shine said cluelessly. "Why would you be worried about me?"

"You're serious?" Knuckles asked in disbelief. "You've been in a coma for about three days! We didn't know if you were even going to wake up!"

Shine looked at them with a blank stare, until a lightbulb when off in his head, as memories of what happened slowly came back to him. Shine nervously glanced away, fumbling with his fingers, earning curious looks from the others.

"Oh that..." Shine chuckled. "Well, I'm sorry I was knocked out for so long. You know how much I don't wat to upset people. Well, I'm going to find something eat. I'm probably very hungry after sleeping for so long."

Shine immediately went past them, attempting to run down the stairs. Unfortunately for him, Chaos turned into a puddle of water, slid past the running hedeghog, and rematerialized right in front of Shine, blocking his path. Shine stopped in his tracks, fear present in his features as Chaos gave him an intense look.

"You're not avoiding this." Chaos proclaimed. "Tell us about the transformation you went through before you fell into this coma."

"Yeah, what was all that about?" Knuckles exclaimed angrily. "You suddenly went beserk and attacked me and Chaos! You nearly took us out, and you weren't going to bat an eye! What wrong with you!"

Shine cowered in absolute fear, unable to take the pressure that was being put on him. He kneeled down, and curled up in a fetal position, tears nearly forming in his eyes. This shocked everyone in attendance as the hedgehog began to even whimper a little.

"This can't be happening..." Shine whispered. "I don't want you to hate me...I don't want to be kicked out...I don't want to be a monster..."

Tikal felt sympathy for the pacifistic hedgehog, and made a move to comfort him when suddenly, a rift opened in front of them. Everyone was caught off-guard, even the crying Shine. And soon enough, out of the rift came the trio of Havoc, Quimica, and Asui, piling up on the steps in front of the Angel Island inhabitants. The three groaned as Havoc wriggled under the weight of the two girls over him. He slowly opened his eyes to the sight of two echidna, a water creature, and a hedgehog he was very familiar with.

"...Shine...?" Havoc spoke.

"Huh, do you know him, Shine?" Tikal questioned.

Shine couldn't even answer the echidna priestess as he could only stare in shock as his twin stared right back. Asui and Quimica rolled off of the dark hedgehog and both took a good look at Shine, noticing the similiraties between him and Havoc.

"Havoc...is this your brother?" Quimica asked him.

"What?" Knuckles exclaimed. "I thought Shine told us he didn't have any family!"

"You mean...you never told them that I existed?" Havoc whispered.

"...You said you didn't want be my brother, so I'm giving you what you want." Shine stated harshly.

Havoc could only look in shock at what his brother just said, as guilt and hurt started to swell up within him. The dark hedgehog held his head down in shame as his two companions looked at him with pity, while Shine's looked at the white hedgeog in absolute shock. Havoc looked up towards his twin with sorrowful eyes.

"Shine, I'm..." he began.

Before he could even finish that sentence, another figure came out of the rift, landing on the steps behind eveyone as the rift closed subsequently. The figure stood up and looked at the audience before him with a sadistic smirk as Asui immediately pulled out her Desert Eagles and pointed them at the unwanted guest.

"Oliver!" Asui growled.

"Did you miss me, kitty cat?" Oliver chuckled evilly.

"You have exactly ten seconds to tell me who you are and why you are intruding on my island!" Knuckles demanded, raising his fists threatingly.

"My name is Oliver White, and I'm here for that hedgehog!" Oliver answered, pointing towards Havoc. His gaze wandered to Shine, and his smirk grew even wider. "And that hedeghog right over there!"

"First Metal Sonic, now this Oliver!" Chaos exclaimed, raising his claws for battle. "There has to be a reason for these people to come after Shine!"

"Not to mention, Havoc!" Quimica added. "Why do you want them so badly?"

"I have no need to explain that to you." Oliver replied coldly. "All I want is to take those two and be on my way to superiority!"

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, you're outnumbered!" Asui proclaimed. "So how are you going to even accomplish that?"

"Finally, my time has come!"

The sudden voice took everyone off-guard as all in attendance looked up into the air, as a giant machine swooped down next to the Master Emerald Shrine. It was a large scarlet bird-like machine with an orange colored beak, a blue cockpit in the skull, and with black-colored talons. It had powerful thrusters on the back of its design, and had on both sides, each one with several orange-tipped extensions shaped like sharp curved feathers. And inside the cockpit of the Egg Phoenix was none other than the evil Doctor Eggman, who had a big grin on his face, and Metal Sonic floated down to his side, seemingly indifferent to what was going on!"

"Eggman!" Knuckles and Asui both exclaimed.

"Well, this is a surprise." Eggman stated displeasingly. "There are a lot of unintentional guests here. Metal, which one is our target?"

"The white hedgehog." Metal answered, pointing to the cowering Shine. He then took a good look at Havoc, and also pointed at him. "And judging by that hedgehog's similarities..." He then took out the tracker and checked it. "...and according to the tracker, the purple hedgehog is his twin."

"Really?" Eggman asked shocked; Metal nodded. "Yes, it finally my lucky day! Soon, the power to conquer the world will be mine!"

"If you think I'm just going to let you, the biggest enemy of GUN..." Asui started intenselt. "...use them for your own selfish needs, you've got another..."

Asui never got a chance to finish that sentence as Metal gathered a high amount if electricity in his right hand, and fired it right at Asui. Before anyone could even react, it struck at her feet, blasting the cat right off the Shrine and down to the ground.

"Asui!" Quimica and Havoc shouted helplessly.

The GUN Captain plummeted down to the ground, but luckily flipped over to land on her feet, avoiding any more damage. The icy cat growled with visible anger and was about to go back up, when she caught something coming in the distance out of the corner of her eye. She immediately froze in the spot as her amethyst eyes widened quite considerably.

"You damn bastard!" Quimica shouted at the metallic doppleganger.

"I didn't want to experience the generic routine she was about to go through." Metal stated indifferently. "Plus, it's one less problem out of the way!"

"Can someone explain to me what this is all about?" Knuckles demanded angrily. "I just want some answers, just like everyone else!"

"Sorry, we're fresh out of answers!" Oliver stated, whipping out his pocket knife. "But what we do have is me becoming the superior being of the world!"

"You're delusional!" Eggman shouted. "It's going to end with me having the power of gods at my disposal!"

Oliver, Eggman, and Metal suddenly started to close in on the heroes. Knuckles slammed his fists together anxiously, Chaos took on a defensive stance, Quimica reached for her coat pocket, Havoc looked between the three villains nervously, and Tikal comforted the fearful Shine. Just when it seemed it would break loose...

"Hey, heads up!"

Everyone's attention was once again taken to the sky, where a blue blur smashed into Metal Sonic, sending him crashing into the hull of the Egg Phoenix. Eggman was slightly rattled as the blue blur spun in the air before landing on the shrine, before flashing a grin and a thumbs up.

"Hey, Eggy!" Sonic stated cheerfully. "We gotta stop meeting like this!"

"Sonic!" Eggman exclaimed.

And following Sonic, the Tornado III swooped down onto the island, landing down at the base of the Shrine. Team Crystallix and Tails hopped off the plane and began running up the steps to meet with the others.

"And it's that meddling white rat!" Eggman added frustratingly.

_"Damn it, I didn't expect my copy and some reinforcements to show up!" _Metal mentally stated. _"I'm going to have change my game plan."_

"It's about time you showed up!" Knuckles shouted angrily at Sonic. "We were about to experience hell! Where have you been?"

"Hey, I didn't know Eggman was going to show up." Sonic said nonchalantly. "Give me a break."

"Yeah, getting to a floating island is not as easy as it sounds." Hope stated, running past Oliver and up to Quimica. "Where's Asui, Quimica?"

"Well, she was..." she began, but looked around the area, and realized she was gone. "What the...! She just disappeared! She's gone!"

"Great, all hell's about to break loose, and that cat off the map." Hope groaned. "Just when we need her the most..."

"I'll look for her, Hope!" Rena offered, running up to Hope along with the rest of the team. "I'm sure I can find her in time to help us out!"

"You sure about that, Rena?" Hope asked.

"Of course, I am!" Rena shouted firmly. "I want to help out!"

"I'll accompany her as well." Mina stepped in. "I might as well be useful and try to help out in any way I can. I have a bad feeling that something big is going to happen with her. She didn't seem like the type to just run away."

"Well, I'm not going to go, so count me out." Smash announced lazily; he was met with some dangerous glares from the girls. "Alright, fine! I'll join you! Whatever."

"Well, can't go against majority vote." Hope stated. "Just be back quickly."

The trio nodded and began to run down the stairs, going past Oliver, who looked at three with a somewhat indifferent look. Tails and Hope looked at the human very suspiciously.

"You have to be the Oliver Asui was talking about." Tails stated. "Why didn't you stop them?"

"Less competition, the better!" Oliver smirked.

"Okay, I am so confused!" Sonic stated, scratching his head. "Too many people are here, all hell is about to break loose, and I have no idea the reason why! I think we deserve to know why it's all come to this before duking out, you know!"

"Fine, just to get you all to shut up about it, I'll tell you the whole story!" Eggman stated. "You remember the Gaia incident, don't you Sonic?"

"Yeah, you tried to control Dark Gaia, only to be sent halfway across the world!" Sonic snickered.

"Moving on..." Eggman growled angrily. "It seems as if though when the Gaias went back to sleep inside the Earth, they left some of their essence across the world."

"And this is relevant how...?" Knuckles questioned.

"Well, I've learned that a secret project was happening under our very noses, called Project Gaia." Eggman explained. "A group of scientists who wanted to control the power of gods for their own uses, whether it was good or bad, scraped up as much of the essence of both Light and Dark Gaia as they could, and merged that essence with hedgehog DNA. Wanting vessels for this amazing power, they eventually created two hedgehogs, one for each Gaia. Twins, you could say. For months they performed many experiments on these hedgehogs, looking to pull out the full potential before putting them in action. Unfortunately, though, the two hedgehogs went beserk, killing all the scientists and destroying their base in the process. They are known as the Gaia Twins, and deep within them is the power to destroy, rule, or change the world. And ladies and gentlemen..." The scientist pointed to both Havoc and Shine. "Those two are the Gaia Twins, and with their power, I conquer the world!"

All the heroes could stand in absolute shock at what they heard. They looked at the now-known Gaia Twins, Havoc hanging his head down in complete shame, while Shine was sobbing into his knees.

"Is this true?" Quimica questioned. "Are you really these god-like beings?"

"And did you really destroy those scientists?" Tikal also asked.

"We never asked for it..." Havoc stated quietly. "We never wanted it..."

"It was a complete accident..." Shine whimpered. "They just wouldn't stop..."

"Enough talk!" Oliver shouted, suprising everyone. "You all know the reason why this has come together! Now you will witness me rise to godhood, and prove it by leveling Station Square!"

"You're dreaming!" Eggman objected. "I will be the one to harness their power, and rule the world!"

_"You're both wrong!"_ Metal mentally stated. _"I'll use you both so I can fulfill my own goals of world domination!"_

"Now this is some shocking stuff!" Sonic pointed out. "And we're all stuck smackdab in the middle of it."

"Well, I guess we have to be." Hope stated, pulling out his sword. "Otherwise, we'd all be doomed. You ready guys?"

"Oh yeah!" Sonic grinned.

"Every man for himself!" Oliver shouted, lunging out towards the heroes.

* * *

At the very edge of Angel Island, unknown to anyone else on the island, a small came up, landing on the edge. The back ramp opened up, and out of it came Cyrus Tech the Fox, a cold, calculating look on his face, followed by five GUN Ops. He analyzed at the surroundings for a bit before walking into the jungle along with Ops.

"It looks like no one knows of our presence." Cyrus stated emotionlessly. "Good, this gives us the element of surprise. With it, we will capture the Gaia Twins with ease and..."

"End of the line, Cyrus."

The fox didn't even show a hint of emotion when he saw Asui Hikaru come out of the trees with both of her Desert Eagles pointed at the GUN Colonel. She took on the coldest look she could ever take as she stared right at the intelligent fox, who returned it in full force.

"Asui, why am I not surprised you are here to greet me?" Cyrus asked rhetorically.

"I saw your ship coming from the distance when nobody else did." Asui explained, hostile as ever. "All hell is about to break loose over there, and it would only get worse if you joined the fight. So I'm here to stop you right here before you can cause any damage."

"You're determination is admirable, yet futile." Cyrus said monotonously. "You cannot stop the New World Order that is to come."

"You think I'm just going to lie down and let it happen then?" Asui yelled angrily. "For years, you've been an unknown disease in GUN, and I'm going to be the exterminator for that disease! I'm ending you once and for all!"

"Do you honestly think you can stop me?" Cyrus asked, somewhat amused.

"I can damn sure try!" Asui proclaimed, firing the first shot.

**The dark secret of Gaia has been revealed, and the ultimate hell has broken loose on two different fronts. Who will win this all-out war for the power of Gaia? Will Asui be able to defeat the intelligent Cyrus Tech? And will Havoc and Shine be able to leave this battle with their freedom intact? Find out in the next Heaven and Hell.**


	20. Project Gaia Part 2

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Project Gaia Part 2

The scene returns to the floating Angel Island high in the sky. Now normally, such a place would be peaceful, serene, and quiet with little quarrels for those living there, but unfortunately, today was not a day where that was the case...

"Woah!" Sonic exclaimed. "I've heard of free-for-all's, but this is ridiculous!"

Sonic dashed across the plains of the field around the shrine, the Egg Phoenix trailing right behind him. From its wings came blazing flames of intense heat that were thrown immdiately at the blue hedgehog, who was barely able to outrun the torrent fire right behind him. Thinking quickly, he jumped high into the air, allowing the flames to pass under him. He twisted his body around and performed a Homing Attack on the Phoenix on its hull. The hard impact sent the Egg Phoenix reeling down to the ground as Sonic gracefully landed on his feet. The blue hedgehog was not standing for long as he was suddenly punched in the face out of nowhere, sending him flying. Metal Sonic stood tall with his fist extended, but quickly saw Hope coming and blocked the incoming downward strike of his sword with his arm.

"Guess all villains like to take cheap shots." Hope grunted, pushing his sword against the machine's arm.

"It's called taking advantage of opportunity." Metal stated indifferently.

And no sooner did he say those words, Metal pushed the sword away and swiped his claw at the hedgehog. Hope jumped back to avoid it, but Metal stabbed his other claw at his stomach. Hope brought his sword up, blocking the incoming strike, but Metal shot electricity through the sword, which shot right into Hope, sending him on his back. Metal jumped into the air and shot down at Hope like a missile, his claws extended to pierce him. But suddenly, arrows of light formed around Hope and shot up towards Metal, who had no time to react and was struck by all them. As he hung in mid-air, Sonic attacked the metallic doppleganger with a Homing Attack out of nowhere, sending him flying.

"Thanks for the assist!" Hope stated as Sonic landed next to him.

"Hey, I owed Metal for that cheap shot earlier!" Sonic grinned.

Unfortunately, they momentarily forgot about the Eggman as he recovered and the Egg Phoenix fired its intense flames from its wings at them. They were unprepared as they were blasted off their feet and through the plains. But as they flying across the field, Oliver appeared and grabbed the arm of the passing Hope, Sonic flying right past him. After a few seconds, Hope suddenly felt a shock go through his body, before going into the limp trance-like state.

"Hmph, that takes care of one of them for the time being." Oliver stated, throwing Hope away. "Now all I have to figure out is what his powers are and how to use them..."

"Hey!" Sonic shouted, now recovered. "What the hell did you do to Hope? Did you just take his powers?"

"So that little kitty cat told you about me, eh?" Oliver said distatefully. "I'll have to kill her later for that, but for now I'll just have to kill you!"

"Heh, I like to see you try!" Sonic grinned challengingly.

The blue hedgehog dashed towards at Oliver at high speeds, and the human stabbed his pocket knife as the hedgehog head towards him. But Sonic easily jumped over it and landed on the human's head, and immediately jumping off of it, the force sending Oliver down to the ground face-first. The moment the Blue Blur landed on his feet he once again dashed towards Oliver, and the moment the human stood up, he was knocked back down with a hard punch by Sonic. The cobalt hedgehog ran laps around the psychotic human, knocking him down every time he got up. Frustration building, Oliver roared in anger, a wave of light bursting from him from all sides, which blasted Sonic into the air, earning a big smirk from Oliver.

"Looks like I figured that white rat's powers!" Oliver chuckled darkly. "Now I just have to take care of..."

He never finished his sentence as he was punched in the face from the side by Knuckles. Blood spurted from his mouth as Oliver was sent right across the plain, and as he was sent flying, he went over a puddle of water, but as he did, a fist suddenly shot up and out of it, striking Oliver and sending him into the sky. The puddle formed into a figure, revealing to be Chaos. The God of Destruction then formed a pair of Chaos Spears in his hands, and fired them at the air-borne Oliver. They struck dead on, and the human fell to the ground in a smoking heap.

"That's for intruding on my island!" Knuckles proclaimed angrily. "Come back for some more if you want!"

"Hopefully, that will keep him out for a little while." Chaos stated. "Now we need to just deal with Metal and Eggman and..."

"Chaos, look out!" Knuckles shouted.

The God of Destruction was taken back, but turned his head to see the Egg Phoenix, with a very angry Eggman in the cockpit. With a push of a button, powerful, intense flames shot out from its wings towards Chaos. They came in so fast that Chaos wasn't able to react fast enough to dodge. But just in the nick of time, Knuckles jumped in front of the searing flames, summoned forth his own, and clashed his with the Egg Phoenix's. Fire poured all over the area as the intense clash of flames continued, but the flames were too strong, and Knuckles' flames were starting to get pushed back, fatigue and strain starting to come in.

"Hahahaha, bow before the power of the Egg Phoenix!" Eggman cackled; Knuckles' sweated profusely as he struggled to stand up. "The Egg Phoenix is my ultimate creation! Your flames are not comparable to the infinite flames my creation can produce! Your end has finally..."

"Hey Eggman, heads up!"

Eggman turned his head towards the right, where he witnessed Tails carrying Hope through the air and threw the hedgehog towards the Egg Phoenix, who stabbed his sword through the side of the flying machine's head. Eggman's eyes widened, and the flames stopped as the Egg Phoenix's head began to whip around, trying to get Hope off. With a short rest period, Knuckles dissipitated his flames, and breathed heavily at the effort.

"Damn..." Knuckles breathed out. "Eggman may have outdone himself. Those flames were so strong even for me. I didn't know how long I was going to keep them at bay."

"Let's just be grateful for the timing." Chaos stated thoughtfully.

"Get off, you stupid rat!" Eggman yelled frustratingly.

The Egg Phoenix continually shook its head back and forth, Hope staying on with his sword stabbed in no matter. But suddenly, the flying machine whipped its head upward, and the force managed to get Hope's sword out of its head and thrown the hedgehog into the air. Eggman smirked evilly at the sight, but only for a moment as Hope gracefully flipped through the air and landed on top of the Phoenix's body. And without a hesitation, Hope stabbed his sword into it, and began to slice it across the surface and cut wires. Eggman screamed in anger and terror, and the Egg Phoenix began flew away frantically, twisting and turning in order to get the swordsman off its body.

"Well...looks like the swordsman is doing well for himself." Chaos stated.

"Man, that hedgehog is really crazy trying something like that." Knuckles pointed out. "...He's got a little bit of Sonic in him."

Suddenly, something hit Knuckles from behind and knocked him down on his face. The echidna turned his head to find Sonic staggering over him, and fury instantly rose in him as he pushed Sonic away and stood up, facing the Blue Blur.

"What the hell are you doing!" Knuckles exclaimed angrily.

"Dude, what are you..." Sonic began confused.

"Why did you just knock me down from behind!" Knuckles accused.

"Knuckles, what the hell gave you that idea!" Sonic questioned shocked.

"Well, let's see, when I wasn't looking, I was knocked down from behind!" Knuckles recounted. "And when I turned around, you were there! Therefore it has to be you!"

"You knucklehead, are you really that stupid to assume something like that?" Sonic shouted angrily. "It was..."

"That's it!" Knuckles interrupted furiously. "You're dead!"

The red echidna launched himself at Sonic, tackling him down into the ground, and the two began to fight. Chaos tried to run to the two to break them up, but Metal suddenly stepped in front of him. Chaos narrowed his eyes as he put two and two together.

"This is your handiwork, I presume?" Chaos questioned.

"Of course." Metal stated indifferently. "That echidna is so gullible. All I had to do was throw Sonic at him, and this..." He motioned towards the fighting friends. "...is the expected result. Now it's time to deal with you!"

"We shall see about that!" Chaos proclaimed.

And as the metallic doppleganger and watery god clashed, Oliver slowly stood up, groaning from the pain he was enduring. He saw the current battles going on, and with revenge and anger on his mind, proceeded to join in when suddenly Tails came out of the sky and his foot landed directly on his face. The impact sent Oliver staggering backwards, screaming in pain and holding his nose as it bled profusely, which allowed Tails to puch him in the gut, having him double over. Tails then went for a flipped backwards for a kick, but Oliver caught with one hand and pushed him away. He formed a light arrow and threw it at the fox, but Tails easily dodged and shot straight towards the human, lifting his foot up for a kick. As he held his nose, Oliver brought up his right forearm to block the foot, and then pushed the prodigy fox away, Tails landing on his feet and he faced off the psycopath.

"You son of a bitch!" Oliver exclaimed, as he covered his nasal bleeding. "You broke my nose! I am so going to rip you to shreds for that!"

"I'm not afraid of you!" Tails proclaimed bravely. "I've fought and beaten tougher than you!"

"Ha, I like to see you try to better me, pipsqueak!" Oliver stated arrogantly, pulling out his pocket knife.

Tails narrowed his eyes as he once again clashed with the ambitious pyscopath. Meanwhile, Havoc, Shine, and Tikal could only watch as this massive free-for-all only increased in destructiveness. Shine was sitting down, his fear of such ferocity and violence showing his eyes as Tikal did her best to comfort him, whiel Havoc stood on the steps, worry visible as he overlooked the chaos.

"I sure hope Asui is doing better than any of these guys, wherever she is." Havoc muttered.

* * *

Unfortunately, she was not. In fact, she was arguably doing even worse. Two GUN Ops pursued her, firing off their Uzis at her, with the GUN Captain swerving around the trees to avoid the bullets. But suddenly, an Op descended from the shadows of the trees above her, swinging his blade down on the cat. Reacting quickly, she span around the Op as he blade as landed, his katana striking the ground. Getting behind, she swiftly kicked him in the back, sending him into the pursuing Ops, knocking them all down. As she turned around, she came face-to-face with another Op, who swung his blade for her head. She quickly pulled out her bo staff and blocked the strike, then kicked him in the gut. As he doubled over, she jumped onto his head, and used pushed off it as a springboard, vaulting up to a branch on the tree as the Op fell to the ground. She looked down behind her with some heavy breathing.

"Damn, I forgot how tough these damn Ops could be!" Asui stated to herself; she looked over at Cyrus, who was watching the whole affair, and narrowed her eyes. "Once I get these bastards out of the way, I am so gonna..."

She stopped mid-sentence when the final Op jumped up to the branch in front of her and pulled out his pistol. Asui quickly ducked as he fired, the bullet piercing the tree behind her. She jabbed her staff to his gut, and then swung upward right across his chin, knocking him off the branch and down to the ground. She wasn't given any more breathing time though, as the other Ops recovered and opened fire on her with their Assualt Rifles, and the cat was forced to jump from branch to branch to avoid the incoming bullets.

_"Hmmm, she has lasted quite long against my Ops."_ Cyrus thought, somehwat impressed. _"She was always one of the toughest and most resilient agents GUN had ever seen. But it does not matter. Even if she gets through my Ops, they will have considerably weakened and tired her, and it will just be a simple matter of killing her from there."_

Asui pulled out one of her Desert Eagle pistols and began firing back at the Ops, trying to get them off of her tail. She then thrust her hand out, creating a wall of ice between them and her. Relief filled her for a moment, but she forgot about the final GUN Op, as he suddenly kicked Asui in the gut out of nowhere, causing her to gasp in pain as she flew through the air and slammed against the tree. As she fell the to the ground, the Op landed on his feet, pulled out his katana, and dashed forward for the kill. The cat, however, managed to regain her bearings in time to see him coming, and reacting, she moved her head to the right as he stabbed his blade forward, striking the tree. Seeing an opportunity, she jabbed the end of her staff against his chest, and subsequently created a blade of ice at the tip, which pierced him through his chest. And for good measure, she brought up her Desert Eagle, and unloaded several bullets through his helmet, and the Op fell to the ground, dead.

"There's one down." Asui stated as she stood up. "Now only four more..." She heard the sound of guns cocking, and turned her head to see the remaining Ops pointing their guns at her. "...Ah crap."

They were about to open fire on her when suddenly, they felt the ground below them shake a bit. They looked down for a moment, and a wall of plants suddenly sprouted from the ground, which threw the Ops several feet away. Asui looked on in astonishment at what she saw, as she tried to figure out what had just happened.

"What the hell?" Asui muttered.

"Asui!" a female voice exclaimed; Asui turned around to see Quimica, Smash, Rena, and Mina all running up to her. "Quimica, what the hell are you doing here?" She then noticed the three following her. "And more importantly, why are you three even on this island? There's no way you should have gotten here!"

"Well, we got a message from some echidna spirit to come here as fast as we could." Smash lazily explained. "We take a plane to fly up here, and when we arrive, all hell's about to break loose over two demigods, and the three went looking for you after you disappeared. I was dragged along, unfortunately."

"Ah, shut up, Smash!" Mina shouted.

"Look, I appreciate you all looking for me, but this doesn't concern you." Asui told them firmly. "So just go back to the Shrine and..."

"Oh please, do you really think we're going to do that!" Quimica questioned, almost insulted. "We spent forever looking for you, and when we find you, you're about to be shot at! And after all we've been through, I'm not abadoning you now!"

"Looks like words aren't going to persuade you." Asui sighed.

"Pretty much on the mark." Rena said cheerfully.

"This is unexpected." The five turned to see Cyrus standing in front of them with his four GUN Ops flanking him. "The arrival of yet more of you heroes is truly impeding on my plans."

"Who is this guy?" Mina asked.

"Cyrus..." Quimica hissed.

"And why is this guy here?" Rena questioned.

"Short version, he's a freakin' pyschopath bent on taking over the world for some crazy vision of his by a subtle form of mind control. And his choices for power sources are here on this island." Asui explained.

"You're kidding, right?" Smash asked unconvinced; Asui glared at him with a cold look. "Okay, I believe you."

"Well, this cannot do." Cyrus stated montonously. "Now because of Asui, I have to kill all of you. Can't have this many people knowing."

"Smash, Rena, Mina, Quimica, deal with the Ops." Asui ordered darkly; she pulled out her Desert Eagle and cocked them. "Cyrus is mine."

"If that is how you want it, Asui, then I shall give it to you." Cyrus obliged; electric sparks formed around his black gauntlets before two sharp claws potruded out of each one, curving slightly over his fists. "But I must let you know, you will not be able to survive against me."

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Asui hissed coldly. "You know me better than that, Cyrus. No matter what, I'm always up for a challenge!" She dashed foward, opening fire on the fox.

* * *

Havoc continued to observe from the steps of the Maste Emerald Shrine as the intense free-for-all escalated further. Knowing getting involved would only make this even worse, he had no choice but to watch from the sidelines. Turning his head, he saw as his twin brother afraid in the face of this battle on the top of the Shrine, Tikal trying to comfort him in every way possible. As he watched his brother, he made a sudden realization.

"If I don't make up for things now, I never will." Havoc muttered to himself. "He hates my guts because of what I did, and he is scared because of all the violence. I have to help him out, and make things right between me and him."

Resolving himself, he walked up the steps, forsaking all the action and chaos that was taking place before him. He reached the top, and this did not go unnoticed. Shine and Tikal turned their heads to him, and Shine only narrowed his eyes as he glared at his brothers, tears threatening to spill out.

"What do you want?" Shine choked out.

"Shine, I..." Havoc started. "...I'm sorry."

"Is that all you have to say!" Shine exclaimed angrily. "After what you said to me, after hurting my feelings, after saying you didn't want me as your brother, that's all you have to say?"

Havoc could only flinch as Shine's word pierce him, and he held his head down in shame, unable to respond. Tikal looked at the dark hedgehod in pity and sympathy, and, wanting to do something to help, spoke to Shine.

"Shine..." she spoke softly; Shine turned to her. "...I know that whatever he said must have hurt you, especially to tell us you had no brother at all..." Havoc dropped his head down further. "...But, you're family. Brothers. And brothers stick together no matter what. Give him a second chance, at least let him explain himself. Don't let your anger let something happen you will regret."

With every word Tikal spoke, Shine's anger dwindled down as reason broke through to him, though it still remained. WIth some reluctance, Shine nodded to Havoc, who breathed a sigh of relief, followed by a big breath before speaking.

"I'm sorry, Shine." he stated sorrwofully. "I'm really sorry for what happened, but...can you understand why I acted like that? Look at what we are, Shine: vessels for god-like power. If anyone found out about us, we would've been hunted down to be used for their own selfish needs. You just didn't understand that. I was how I was to you because I was trying to keep us safe, you safe! To prevent this..." He motioned towards the free-for-all. "...from happening. Half of these guys are out to get us, one's a infamous scientist bent on world domination, one's a freakin' killer robot whose goal is who's know what, and the last is a psycopath who wants destroy all those he feels inferior! This is why I was how I was to you, because it was completely frustrating why you didn't seem to understand what would happen if we were found out! And now this is the outcome, and who knows what will happen to us now!"

Shine could only watch his twin brother in absolute shock as his words were smashed into him, each one driving home with him. He recalled how Metal first appeared, coming for him, proving his brother's warning true, and now with this battle, Havoc's words completely made sense, as he only now realized the power and control he and his brother had to the world, and what would happen if they were captured. He buried his head down in his knees in shame.

"...But...I was wrong in what I did." Havoc admitted; Shine looked up in surprise. "You're a free spirit, Shine. You're not one to just hide and be restrained like I had us. You want to have fun, be at peace, and make others happy. I was trying to keep us safe, but I was completely inconsiderate to how you felt, and I couldn't have felt more guilty in my life...damn, I sound like such a wuss. But I guess that's the price you pay for learning a lesson the hard way, huh? So, Shine, can you please forgive me?"

Shine stared at his brother for a long time, neither turning away for a single second as Tikal watched the whole thing, nervous as to what the outcome would be. Then, the white hedgehog nodded his head slowly, and Havoc smiled and kneeled down to hug his brother.

"I'm sorry for running away..." Shine sobbed.

"And I'm sorry for hurting you." Havoc apologized.

The two brothers embraced each other tightly as Tikal smiled at the resolution to their fighting. The sound of an explosion immediately ripped them from the special moment. They looked down from the Shrine, once again pulled back into the reality of the intense, seven-man battle that was going all for them. Havoc narrowed his eyes at this, Shine reluctantly kept his eyes on it with sadness, whiel Tikal just frowned disapprovingly.

"What are we going to do?" Tikal asked. "This is has gone on lone enough, there's been so much chaos and destruction, but it doesn't look to be ending anytime soon. How do we end this?"

"...We show them our true power." Havoc proclaimed firmly; Tikal and Shine looked at him in shock. "We show them how dangerous we can be. We show those want to use us for their selfish wants that they can't comprehend our power. That they cannot control it as they seem to believe, and what destruction we can bring. Not only will we end this battle, but we'll end all ideas for pursuing us furhter."

"B-but, we can't control it ourselves..." Shine stuttered frighteningly. "If we give into it, we'll hurt everyone, even our friends! Maybe kill them! We can't..."

"This is the only way!" Havoc said sternly. "Even if our friends beat them, they'll just come back for us again in the future! We have to teach them how dangerous our power is, how they cannot possibly hope to control it! Remember the ones who created us. They tried to harness our power, and it resulted in their deaths. This is a chance we have to take in order to truly end this. Help me do this...if not for me, do it at least for _her, _Shine. She didn't want something like this to happen, and it's up to us to put an end to it. Are you with me?"

Shine considered his words very carefully for a few moments, and ultimately relenting, he nodded in agreement reluctantly. Tikal eyes widened as they both closed their eyes, allowing their inner powers to slowly take over. Their bodies began to glow brightly, black and gold contrasting as their eye markings started to cover their whole body as the pain started to overtake them.

"Don't do this!" Tikal pleaded. "There has to be another way! Don't take this route!"

"Trust me, I wouldn't even... consider this if there was... another choice..." Havoc groaned with a grin. "...Don't worry, we'll be sure... to at least... not kill anyone."

"...Yeah..." Shine breathed heftily. "I may not... want to do to this, but there's... no other choice, as Havoc said. But I promise...if there was ever a moment... I could influence that other me... even a tiny bit... it would be now. I won't kill anyone... I promise."

Tikal realized at that instant that she could not persuade these two, and even if she could, it was too late. They both screamed out in absolute agony as a pillar of both gold and dark erupted from them, Tikal stepping back from such energy, even as a spirit. Everyone around the Shrine stopped fighting, and looked up to the top where the source of the disturbance was coming from. Tikal could only watch in horror as she watched their transformation from their silhouttes in the pillar of energy. After several moments, the screams stopped, and the pillar vanished, and standing in its place, were both Havoc and Shine in their Gaia Forms. Havoc growled as he crouched, his two steel broadswords in each hand, with Shine floating above him, silent with his eerie calm look about him, his eleven weapons floating around him. They stared down at the batch of fighters at the ground below, and the thoughts that were all running through their heads were all summed up with four simple words from Sonic.

"Son of a...bitch."

**Light and darkness unite as the powers of Gaia threaten to overwhelm all, both good and evil. Will the lesson that is being taught by the Gaia Twins be learned? Willl anyone survive this upcoming onslaught? And will Asui be able to overcome the brilliant and craft Cyrus Tech? Find out in the next Shining Hope.**


	21. Project Gaia Part 3

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Project Gaia Part 3

Asui looked up to the sky, breathing heavily as she could only stare in shock as she saw a pillar of gold and black energy shooting up towards the blue sky. Then her body visibly stiffened, as she could feel a godlike power surge through the air around her, and she knew exactly who it belonged it to, except that it was now joined by another of equal power. It was so strong, that is broke the icy cat into a cold sweat, bearing down on her.

"Such a magnificient sight..." Asui snapped her head back to Cyrus, who was observing the now fading pillar of energy with great interest. "Such an event can only mean one thing. You can feel it in the air. The immense power bearing down on us. The Gaia Twins have awakened. With such power at my command, nothing can stop my New World Order from being established."

"I won't let you do that!" Asui proclaimed defiantly. "I won't let them fall into the wrong hands!"

"And I suppose GUN are the right hands for such power?" Cyrus asked monontously.

"No." Asui replied firmly; Cyrus was genuinely suprirsed by her reaction.

"I thought your orders were to bring the Twins to GUN." Cyrus stated curiously. "You have always been one of their most loyal agents. You never disobeyed them, never even thought of such a notion."

"That's true." Asui admitted. "I am loyal to GUN without fault. It was my original intention to bring those two back to HQ. But then...I witnessed the power the possessed. And as I was held up by the throat by Havoc, beaten, battered, and defeated, witnessing his ferocious power, I...I was terrified."

"Terrified?" Cyrus asked interested. "You were never one for fear, Asui. You've been so cold and unflinching, you were given the nickname 'The Ice Queen.'"

"I know..." Asui replied, suddenly firing several shots at Cyrus; the fox switfly dodged them. "But after seeing the power Havoc held within him, I didn't know it for sure then, but I was afraid. Ever since then, I began to have doubts. It was just so ungodly, I didn't know what should be done with it. Could GUN really harness it for the better? Such conflicting thoughts concerned me, hiding behind my cold exterior I always had. Until now. Feeling the power of those two Twins, how it's bearing down on me, making me sweat, shiver...no one can possibly be able control that power. Not me, not Eggman, not GUN..."

Asui suddenly thrust out her palm, several ice spikes shooting out from in front of them. Cyrus ducked the incoming projectiles, but the GUN Captain suddenly rushed foward and went for a diving kick at the grey fox, but Cyrus easily caught the foot with his hand. Suddenly, Asui used her free foot and kicked him right in the face, staggering him back. She then holstered her Desert Eagle, and then pulled out her bo staff and swung it down on Cyrus. But the grey fox brought his forearm up to block the bo staff, and as he kept it at bay, Asui looked at him with a cold, hard expression.

"...and certainly not you, Cyrus." Asui affirmed coldly.

"You underestimate me, Asui." Cyrus replied monotonously. "I am the most intellectual being on this planet. I have no doubts that with such superior intellect, I can easily..."

"Damn it, Cyrus, it doesn't matter how smart you are!" Asui roared, the air around them dropping a few degrees. "We're not ready for that kind of power! We may never be! Seeing that power in action, what it can do, it's just absolutely frightening..."

"Then let me witness its power firsthand if that's so true." Cyrus offered.

"Hell no!" Asui refused adamantly. "You're too sick and twisted to understand such a thing! I may not be bringing the Twins back to GUN, but I will still be following these orders: protecting the Gaia Twins at all costs! Keep them from the wrong hands, especially yours!"

"How naive..." Cyrus stated coldly.

Sparks suddenly danced around his gauntlets until electricity shot out of them and struck Asui in the chest. She was sent flying back from the grey fox, but was able to land on her feet, ignoring the pain going throughout her body. Cyrus swiftly formed a sphere of electricity and threw it at the GUN Captain. Asui swiftly rolled away to avoid the attack, but as she rolled back to her feet, the GUN Colonel quickly got in front of her, stabbing his claw at her. Asui managed to move her head in time, just barely getting nicked in the cheek. Suddenly, he fired off an arc of electricity from his other hand, which sent Asui flying down to her back.

"My hands are the right hands." Cyrus stated highly. "Only I can hope to harness such a power, and once I do, nothing can stop me from turning this world into my vision. When you, and your foolish allies are dealt with, then nothing will stop that."

"You really are full of yourself, you know that?" Asui grunted as she pulled herself up to her feet. "Whether that's true or not, that's debatable between you and me. But I know one thing, I'm standing in your way, and I'm not going to go down without a fight. And I can put up a pretty mean fight! So bring it on, Cyrus!"

"If that is what you wish, Captain Asui. Cyrus complied, electricity sparking around his gauntlets.

* * *

Everyone could only stay in their place as they watched in awe, wonder, shock, fear, or a combination of all four as the now transformed Gaia Twins beared their eyes on them from the top of the Master Emerald Shrine, their immense power being felt by all in the area. Tikal, who was with the Twins on the Shrine, stared in horror in what the two at become, and the power they possessed. Everyone anxiously waited for them to come attack them out of nowhere, but they did not move an inch since transforming, putting everyone on edge.

"Why the hell are they not attacking?" Hope questioned.

"They're waiting for us to make a move." Knuckles explained. "This happened when Shine transformed on me and Chaos. He did not move until I did, and then he beat the crap out of us. I don't know why, maybe that's just how they are, but the moment any of us make a move, that's when hell will break loose."

"Wow, Knuckles, you actually paid attention." Sonic joked.

"I swear, if we survive this, I'm kicking your ass!" Knuckles growled angrily.

"This cannot be happening." Metal muttered to himself. "I was so close, and now this!"

"Their power..." Oliver spoke in awe. "So...superior."

"Ha, so these are the true Gaia Twins." Eggman chuckled evilly. "They are even greater than I imagined! Their mere presence is even awe-inspiring. With their power, it wil be a simple matter ruling the world!"

"Eggman, wait!" Tails warned. "Don't..."

"Don't tell me what to do, fox!" Eggman shouted, moving the Egg Phoenix foward. "My intellect is perfect for controlling these..."

The right wing of the Egg Phoenix was suddenly sliced off by a dark wave of energy, causing everyone to look on in shock, especially Eggman. Havoc Gaia growled, his broadsword having been swung down to send the wave of dark energy. With the Egg Phoenix now unbalanced , Eggman sent a powerful torrent of flames from his remaining wing at the Twins. Shine Gaia calmly brought his hand up, and a shield of light emerged from it, deflecting the flames with ease. One of the plantinum blades then pointed towards the Egg Phoenix, and a beam of light shot out from the tip, and cleanly sliced off the remaining wing. Eggman could only watch in shock, and before his once proud machine could even begin to fall, Havoc swung his second broadsword across the air, creating a rift that poured out hundreds of blades and weapons, each one striking dead-on into the Egg Phoenix. The once deadly machine exploded in a giant ball flames, raining broken parts all over the field as the Eggmobile, which jettisoned at the very last second, landed on the groud, cracks adorning every inch with tear all over it, a stunned and fearful Eggman still in it.

"Holy crap!" Sonic shouted in shock; he then turned to notice that the Twins had turned their attention to them. "Double crap!"

Havoc immediately pounced, jumping off the Shrine and dashed towards Sonic, swinging his broadsword down onto him. Sonic swiftly jumpbed away in time, the weapon shattering the ground as it landed. But as he landed on his feet, Shine was suddenly behind him, grabbing his halberd and swinging it for his head. The blue hedgehog ducked in time, and then attempted a fast roundhouse kick to the god-like being, but Shine easily caught it with one hand. Before he could do anything, though, a beam of light suddenly struck him in the face. Hope took advantage of the opportunity he created by jumping into the air and coming down onto the Shine with his sword. The golden hegehog, however, was not fazed by the suprise attack and had his plantinum blade block Hope's strike. Sonic tried to used his other foot to kick Shine, but was punched by the animalisitc Havoc, so hard that he was sent rocketing into a nearby boulder, shattering it.

"Sonic!" Hope shouted frantically.

He pushed himself away from the blade and dashed towards Shine and once again swung for him, but one of Shine's weapons moved and blocked the strike. Hope unleashed a flurry of strikes, but Shine easily blocked each one with his levitating weapons. After another unsuccessful strike, Hope went for a stab, but the axe sword flew to block the very tip. With Hope stopped for the moment, Shine threw his hand forward, creating a blast of light which sent Hope flying away. But as he was about to land on his feet, a rift suddenly opened beneath as he was in mid-air, and Havoc came out, grabbing Hope's throat and slamming him down to the ground. Hope gasped for breath as Havoc tightened his grip on his throat, until the god-like being was suddenly punched in the face by Knuckles. The blow managed to send Havoc back beside Shine, but it did not seem to do any damage.

"Thanks..." Hope said hoarsely.

"No problem." Knuckles replied. "I don't know you, but you seem to be a friend of Sonic, and you're helping us out right now, so that's reason enough to help you."

"For once, you're using your head." Chaos stated as he rushed past the two.

He ran towards the Gaia Twins, throwing his hands forward and firing off a pair of Chaos Spears at them. The yellow arrows of energy struck both Gaia Twins in the face. Chaos then shot both of his arms at them, the watery limbs stretching and striking both of them in the chest, sending them down to the ground.

"Knuckles, now!" Chaos called over his shoulder.

The echidna immediately bashed his fist together, igniting flames between them and then shot them in a huge flurry at the Twins, engulfing both of them. Deciding to follow suit, Hope, his powers now restored to him, fired a powerful beam of light from his sword, which struck the flames, resulting in a huge explosion. The three grouped back together as they watched the sight.

"Stay on your guard!" Chaos advised, his claws raised. "Something similar to this happened to Shine when he transformed the first time, and he wasn't affected at all! We have to stay on them or..."

Two beams of energy, both dark and light, sudenly pierced him in the shoulder and side, ripping away his aquatic body. He screamed in absolute pain as he fell back onto the ground. Both Knuckles and Hope were shocked at what happened, and turned to see Shine and Havoc, both unscathed, dashing towards them. Havoc and Shine swung down their blades at the two, but Knuckles and Hope managed to jump away in time. Suddenly, Havoc opened his mouth, and a powerful blast of dark energy shot out from it at high speeds, and Hope was struck dead-on, engulfed by the blast. Knuckles eyes went wide when he saw this, but a split second later, Shine appeared in front of him, his eleven weapons flying around them in a threatening manner.

"Crap!" Knuckles cursed.

But just as the blades swung to slice the echidna from all sides, Tails came flying in and grabbed Knuckles by his hands and took him away just in the nick of time from the weapons.

"Tails!" Knuckles exclaimed.

"Looks like I was in the nick of time!" Tails responded. "We've got to do something about those two!"

"No use in running, so all we can do is hit them head-on!" Knuckles proclaimed.

"Do we have a plan of any kind?" Tails asked.

"No, and it's not like we can come up with one either right now!" Knuckles told him. "The best we can do is hit them head-on!"

Tails nodded in understanding, and then with a mighty throw, sent Knuckles towards the Twins. Pulling back his fists, he coated them with immense flames and then threw struck both Shine and Havoc in the face, creating dual explosions. Tails flew in between the two, and then proceeded to kick both of them in the side of the head. They both staggered to the side, and Tails and Knuckles were about to continue their assualt, until the Gaia Twins suddenly shot their eyes open. Havoc ripped open a rift where a tornado of blades shot out and struck Knuckles, cutting him everywhere and sending him over to the other side of the field. Shine threw his hand out towards Tails, and from each finger he fired a powerful beam of light, which all struck Tails dead-on in the chest, sending him crashing into a rock. The two stood frozen at the spot until...

"Hey, not cool!"

The Twins turned their heads just in time to avoid a blue blur as it passed them. Sonic the Hedgehog skidded to a halt, and turned on his heels to face the Gaia Twins. He had several cuts and bruises about him from the earlier attack, and he had his eyes narrowed at the god-like hedgehogs.

"When you hurt my two best friends, you've crossed the line!" Sonic proclaimed. "I don't care if you are gods, I'm taking you down!"

The Gaia Twins simply looked at the the blue hedgehog, their faces showing nothing to Sonic. Suddenly, blue electrical bolts suddenly struck the two in the back, coursing it through their bodies. As they were momentarily paralyzed, Metal suddenly came up between, jumped into the air, and kicked them both in the heads, and charged his hands with more electricity before bashing them in the hedgehog's heads, sending them flying in opposite directions.

"Metal!" Sonic exclaimde suprised. "Not that I'm not grateful for the help, but why are you...?"

"I didn't help you out because I wanted to." Metal explained bluntly as he landed on his feet. "I helped you out because I need you. I know what one of these hedgehogs can do on their own, and with two of them together, I don't even stand a chance alone. Which is why, reluctantly, I require your help."

"Heh, the big, bad Metal needs some help." Sonic joked.

"Once we subdue these two, I'm going to kill you." Metal replied.

The metallic doppleganger then jumped away just as the Twins made a stab at him with their blades, landing right beside Sonic. The two glanced each other and gave a knowing nod towards one another before dashing at the Twins at high speeds. Before the god-like hedeghogs could react, they were kicked right in the face by their opponents. When the two landed back on their feet, Metal grabbed Sonic's arm and threw him hard at the Gaia Twins. Curling up into ball form, Sonic hit a Homing Attack on Havoc, then uncurled and gave a sharp roundhouse kick to the jaw of Shine, sending them both down to the ground. Metal and Sonic then began to circle the two at sonic speeds, creating a blue tornado around the Twins, which lifted the two up into the air. The tornado then dissipitated, leaving the Twins hanging in mid-air as the organic and metallic dopplegangers floated above them. Sonic formed a cyan orb of chaos energy in his hand, while Metal's hand became coated in cackling blue electricity.

**"Sonic Wind!" **Sonic exclaimed.

**"Metal Surge!" **Metal shouted.

The two then shot down towards the mid-air Twins, thrusting their signature attacks at them. But as they were about to strike, the Twins suddenly caught the attacks with the bare hands. Metal and Sonic stared in absolute shock as the god-like hedgehogs slightly squeezed their hands and crushed the signature attacks. The Blue Blur and metallic doppleganger had only a second to register what had happened before Shine and Havoc suddenly sliced them with their axe-sword and broadsword, respectively, sending them flying in opposite directions with both crashing sickengly to the ground, creating craters in their wake.

"Oh..." Sonic moaned as he rubbed his head in pain.

Sonic looked up and saw the two standing back-to-back facing both him and Metal, glowing with powerful auras around them, their weapons gleaming dangerously in the sunlight.

"Ah crap."

* * *

Smash swerved around the trees as bullets flew right by him with the Gun Op right on him. The Op bounced off the tree and fired off more rounds from his Assault Rifle, but quickly ran behind a tree and let the bullets strike it. The Op followed Smash to behind the tree, only to be greeted by Rena's staff striking his gut. Smash then gave a powerful roundhouse kick that knocked the Op away. The two took a bit of a breather until they suddenly felt someone behind them, they turned their heads around in time to see another Op coming in swinging his katana at them. The two managed to jump away in time.

"Man, these guys are such pains." Smash groaned. "They just keep coming."

"Yeah, they are pretty stubborn." Rena commented.

They heard gunfire to their left, and turned their heads to see Quimica running away from another Op as said Op fired off his Assault Rifle at her. She pulled out several silver pellets and manipulated them into a shield that deflected the bullets. The Op, seeing the shield, ceased firing and kicked the shield at Quimica. The lynx ducked in time to avoid the shield, but the Op then kicked her in the jaw sending her to the ground. The Op was about to capitalize when a vine suddenly struck him in the face and sent him into a tree. Mina ran up to Quimica and checked on her.

"Are you okay?" Mina asked.

"Look out!" Quimica shouted.

Mina instinctvely turned, just in time to roll away from a slash from the fourth Op's katana. The Op pulled out his pistol and fired a couple of rounds, but Mina threw her hand out, glowing with green chaos energy as a wooden shield sprouted from the ground to take the bullets, and then thrust her hand out, the wooden shield being shot out of the ground and striking the Op in the face, smashing him against a tree. Mina barely had time to breathe, as the third Op came up behind her and sweeped her legs. She fell to the ground and the Op pointed his rifle at her head, but before he could pull the trigger, Smash kneed him in the side of the head. His helmet slightly cracked as he staggered back, and was suddenly struck in the chest by a lightning bolt, courtesy of Rena.

"You okay, Mina?" Rena asked as she and the others gathered to Mina.

"Yeah." Mina groaned as she sat up. "But damn, I've never seen more stubborn guys. No matter what we hit them with, they just keep coming."

"Then we'll just have to keep them down for good." Smash stated. "We hit them with our best shots, and take them out."

"Uh oh." Quimica murmurred; everyone looked up to see the Ops regrouping. "Here they come."

The four heroes prepared to fight back agains the GUN Ops when suddenly, the ground rumbled followed by the sound of an explosion. Everyone was taken back and they all turned to towards the direction of the Shrine, wondering just what was going on over there.

* * *

"Oh my God..." Tikal whispered.

The echidna priestess could only stare in shock at the destruction that has been caused. The entire field had been ravaged, smoke coming from all over the ground, several craters visible across the fields, debris littering all across it. Sonic laid on his front across the ground, cuts and wounds across his body as he struggled to get up, Metal's body was down on the ground and severely damaged, sparks emitting from many broken circuits inside him with all the cuts and dents, Hope was implanted in a nearby boulder, blood seeping over his eye from a wound on his head, Knuckles had deep cuts all over his body as blood poured from all of his wounds, Tails was curled up on the ground, burns all over his body from the light beams, Chaos was nearly a puddle of water on the ground, his body desperately trying to reform itself, and Eggman still sat in his broken Eggmobile, staring in utter disbelief and shock at what transpired, with the Gaia Twins standing tall in the middle of all the destruction, surveying their damage.

"I can't believe it..." Tikal muttered as she placed her hand over mouth. "It's like they've become gods...the power they are emitting and have displayed is just unreal...I have never seen anything like it...and they are forced to become completely different in the process...how can such a thing be possible?" Tikal then realized something and looked around the field. "Wait a minute...where did that Oliver character go?"

As if though on cue, Oliver suddenly appeared in between the Gaia Twins from behind out of nowhere. The Gaia Twins immediately snapped their attention towards the human, but before they could do anything, Oliver swiftly grabbed both of their arms, an devil-like grin on his face.

"I knew hiding out from all of this carnage would pay off..." Oliver chuckled darkly. "Now it's time to claim what is mine."

The Gaia Twins were about to destroy the human when suddenly they felt a shock through their bodies. Oliver cackled insanely as he felt their powers being drained from them. The Gaia Twins began to scream in horrible pain as they slowly reverted back to their original forms, and soon enough, they were back to old Shine and Havoc, limp and motionless. Oliver suddenly felt a powerful shock of power burst through him as he let go of the Twins and began floating up into the air.

"My god..." Oliver gasped. "What power...IT'S ALL MINE!"

An explosion of darkness and light burst from Oliver as everyone still conscious was temporarily blinded, and once it died down, they could only stare in absolute shock at what they saw. Oliver's hair had grown down all the way to her feet, now a mixturing color of white and black, his right eye now a bright gold, his left eye a dark purple, his skin now took on a grey pigment. His clothes were torn all over, as his muscles suddenly grew to a big size, his hands now sharp claws, and he now had an angel wing and a bat wing on his back, keeping him afloat, and the final touch were demonic-like sharp teeth that he showed with a wicked grin. Yellow and black sparks shot all around him as he cackled darkly at those below him.

"Behold the god that now stands before you!" Oliver proclaimed proudly. "Behold the new superior being of this world, Oliver White!"

**Oliver White has become the one who achieves his goal as he attains the level of a god. Can the heroes put an end to Oliver before he destroys all? Will Asui be able to defeat the greatest mind in Cyrus the Fox? And will the powers of Gaia be able to contained once and for all? Find out in the next Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell.**

* * *

My good friend, Emily Blue Paw, has an amazing story right now called Playing Games. She's in a bit of a rut so to speak as not many people are reading her story, so as a good friend should, I am asking all my readers and fans to go and read and review her story. Please do so, or the Gaia Twins shall blast you all to hell!


	22. Project Gaia Part 4

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

Project Gaia Part 4

Everyone on the island could only stare in absolute shock at the new being that was now before them. Black clouds suddenly began to gather all over the island, thunder raging across the sky in response to the immense power that was now there. Oliver White could only grin maniacally at shocked, speechless expressions on everyone's faces, pleased at their reactions. He raised up both of his hands, his left hand surrounded by a glowing sphere of light, while his right hand was covered in flames of dark energy. Oliver eye's glinted with gleeful madness at this sight.

"Such power..." he said to himself. "And it's mine...IT'S ALL MINE!"

Oliver laughed like only an insane madman could, consumed with the power that now belonged with him. Sonic managed to stand on his own two feet, and stared defiantly at the transformed human.

"Like I'm going to let you get away with this!" Sonic exclaimed.

He ran at sonic speeds towards Oliver and jumped into the air towards him, fist pulled back for a blow. But once he threw said punch, Oliver caught it with his left hand without so much as a glance to the blue hedgehog.

"All too easy..." Oliver muttered.

Suddenly a shock of light energy burst all over the inside of Sonic, causing him to release a howl of pain, but that didn't last long either as he opened up his right hand casually and a giant burst of dark flames suddenly shot out from it, engulfing Sonic completely and sending him spiraling down to the ground in a flaming heap, burnt in several places over all his body.

"Sonic!" Tails screamed in horror.

"Damn it!" Hope grunted as he pulled himself out of the boulder he was in. "We can't let this dude win! Who knows what he's going to do with all this power!"

"What am I going to do with this power, you ask?" Oliver smirked evilly. "Simple. I am going to show the world and all on it that I am superior to them all, that I am better then am all and always have been! And I'll start with leveling Station Square! Now that will be a blast!"

"Goddamn pyshco..." Knuckles managed to get out, forcing himself to stand, despite his wounds. "He has freakin' lost it!"

"Why?" Everyone suddenly turned their attention to Tikal, who was looking sadly at Oliver. "Why do you want to prove yourself superior? Why do all of this? Why cause so much pain for such a thing?"

For the first time, Oliver's maniacal grin slowly morphed into a genuine frown, wondering why would she even ask such a thing when all of this was happening. Was she that concerned about his true reasoning behind all of his actions to this point? Was she that emotional that she wanted to know about him? He narrowed her eyes as he came to a conclusion.

"You want to know why I've done all of this superiority?" Oliver growled. "Fine! Might as well, seeing as there's nothing that could come from it. It's because of all the pain and suffering I have been forced to go through by the very people around me! It's because of everyone that I want this!"

"What the hell do you mean?" Metal questioned.

"I have lived in Station Square my whole life with my mother, the only parent I ever had, inside a small apartment. And you know what...life was shit. Not one damn person cared about me. I was brutally mistreated at school, I was constantly beat up on a daily basis multiple times, I was treated like utter crap by everyone, no one gave a damn about me. Only my mother cared for me, but that wasn't enough. Those bastards made my life a living hell for decades, and even when I tried to be nice to them, they put me down like trash! Well no more, today is the day I show them all that they are the trash! That is my whole reason for all of this you see now!"

"That still doesn't explain how you found out about the Gaia Twins in the first place?" Tails exclaimed.

"Well, that's quite simple actually." Oliver answered casually. "Over time, I slowly began to develop my powers. I can still remember that night they were awaken. Such a painful night. The ability to steal other people's powers for shorts amount of time, truly one unique to me. And through time, other smaller powers came to me, such as minor telepathy. That was how I learned of the Twins. As I passed through Station Square on a normal day, I managed to hear the thoughts of a scientist, and how he talked about Project Gaia. I got curious, so I dug around as much as I could and well...here we are. And finally, things are going my way."

"Well, they won't be for long." Metal stated as he also stood up. "Like you said, you can steal powers, but only for short periods of time. Soon those powers will return to the Twins, and you will be defenseless."

"So what?" Oliver chuckled maniacally. "Every time I feel my powers going away, I can just steal them back again before they're fully gone. And seeing as how I'm having them longer then usual, I think it's safe to say I'm going to be having them for quite awhile! Prepare yourselves, for you will all be the first to witness my ascension to godhood!"

Oliver then began building up his energy, and soon everyone, battered and weaken, prepared themselves for one final stand. Oliver pulled back his hands and...

"You fool..."

Everyone froze right then and there, and immediately turned their attention to the source of the voice. Havoc was standing right up, glaring intensely at the floating Oliver in the sky, while Shine was on his knees, glancing up at Oliver with sad, sorrowful, and regretful eyes.

"Shine! Havoc!" Tikal shouted in relief from the Shrine. "You're alright!"

"Hmph, so you're awake now?" Oliver snorted. "It doesn't matter. You can do nothing to stop me as I achieve victory!"

"Do you really think you can control the power that we couldn't?" Havoc questioned incredulously. "How pathetic."

"What?" Oliver howled in rage.

"It's true." Shine nodded glumly. "We are the true owners of the power you possess, and even we fall helpless to it. We become it's slaves. How can you control something we can't?"

"You two are complete weaklings!" Oliver spat in retort. "Of course you couldn't control it! But I am superior to all of you, so I will control it! Nothing can stop me!"

"What an egotistical fool." Havoc frowned in disapproval. "We can't even control our respective Gaia powers, and you expect to control them both combined? It's onnly a matter of time before they completely overhwelm you."

"Ha, like that will ever happen!" Oliver laughed it off.

"I feel sorry for you." Shine stated sorrowfully. "Such a tortured soul, so much suffering, and now he will soon be no more in mind because of his own arrogance."

"Yes, it is truly sad, Shine, but that is how life works." Havoc nodded with closed eyes; he held up his right hand and began counting down with his fingers. "3...2...1..."

Oliver wondered what the hell they were doing until he felt something snap within him. An ungodly amount of pain suddenly shot throughout his entire body, especially his head. He held his head in complete agony, screaming as he thrashed about in the air.

"What's happening?" Oliver screeched, violently shaking his head. "What's going on? What's with all this unbearable pain?"

"It's finally taking over." Havoc stated calmly. "The powers of Gaia are finally overwhelming you, in both mind and body. I'm surprised you retained your sanity for so long, but you truly overestimated yourself. I pity you."

"No one that has gone through what you have should go through this." Shine added; he bowed his head, as if to accept fate. "But there is nothing that can be done now. I'm so sorry."

"No..." Oliver grunted defiantly. "This cannot happen...I am superior to all...they must pay...No...no...NOOOOOO!"

Oliver screamed out in unimaginable pain as his body was completely consumed by both light and darkness, powerful waves of energy emitting from him as everyone struggled to stand against them. After several minutes of hearing agonizing screams from the mixture of light and darkness, they slowly died down, until there was nothing but silence. Soon, both the light and darkness faded away, leaving Oliver still floating in the sky, his head hung down. He looked relatively unchanged from the event, still looking the same, but his face was not seen. Everyone was on edge, unknowing of what to expect next.

"Oliver?" Hope spoke cautiously.

On cue, Oliver slowly raised his head towards those in attendance, his face now visible to everyone. And when they saw it, they were gripped with complete shock. While his face remained unchanged, it was his eyes that truly showed the change within. They were held no irises, just complete, empty white, similar to Havoc in Gaia Form. They no longer held the insanity that Oliver had, they held no conscious thought, they did not hold any reason. They just held complete animalistic instinct and rage, nothing left of Oliver in them, and this was shown as Oliver bared his canines before letting out out a bloodcurling howl of anger, sending shivers down in nearly everyone's spines.

"Just...just what happened?" Hope questioned, trying to swallow whatever fear he had.

"This is what Oliver has become." Havoc informed them. "The powers he tried to control have consumed him whole, and he has become nothing more than a bloodthirsty animal. And looking into his eyes, I think I know that there's only one thing that he is capable of thinking and doing: destroy."

As if to confirm such, Oliver turned back to everyone on the ground, and with another animalistic scream he opened both of his hands, and in each of them formed long, large energy swords, one made of light, the other made of darkness. Sonic, having been able to get up from the earlier attack, looked up at the sight now before them and just groaned.

"Can't we catch a break today?"

In repsonse, Oliver swiped his swords through the air, sending powerful waves of light and darkness in their direction.

* * *

Asui swerved around the trees as she fired bullets at the pursuing fox behind her. Cyrus swiflty dodged the projectiles coming at him, and fired off a sphere of electricity from his gauntlet. The icy cat saw this and jumped into the air as it went under her, and in mid-air, she put her feet up against a nearby tree, and using her momentum, pushed herself off it, launching herself at Cyrus with her foot outstretched. Cyrus, though, saw this coming, and brought his forearm to block the kick, and pushed her away. The GUN Captain gracefully landed on her feet, and stood off against the Colonel.

"As always, you are impressive." Cyrus complimented.

"Spare me the flattery, Cyrus." Asui spat icily. "I don't need it from a traitor like you! The only thing I need from you is your death!"

Staring monotonously at Asui in response, he slowly looked up towards the blackened sky, analyzing what he saw with careful calculation.

"What an intriguing development." Cyrus stated informedly. "Black clouds have formed all across the sky in such a short time, and you can feel an maniacal, evil presence among us now. Obviously, something has befallen the Gaia Twins."

"You may be right." Asui admitted. "But they're not your problem right now. I AM!"

Asui pulled out her bo staff and thrust it foward, iciciles shooting form the tip towards Cyrus. The fox clicked his gauntlets together and created Plasma Shields, which absorbed the impact of the icicles, before surging up a gauntlet and firing off arcs of electricity at her. Asui gracefully jumped over the arcs and aimed her Desert Eagle, firing off several shots at the gray. fox. But the fox was prepared as he held up his Plasma Shields to block the incoming bullets as he jumped into the air and planted his foot into her stomach before grabbing her and throwing her to the ground. Asui managed to land on her hands and then flipped back on to her feet, but as she did so, Cyrus held his left gauntlet up, and began coating it with electricity as more from the air was drawn into Cyrus' gauntlet.

**"Shock Piercer!"**

Cyrus lunged his arm foward, the electricity in his arm expanding before shooting forward at breakneck speeds towards Asui. The GUN Captain backed away in time to avoid it, but the impact of the electricity on the ground was like a divine hammer, powerful enough to blow Asui away. The icy cat rolled across the ground a bit before regaining her composure, only to see another Shock Piercer heading her way. Thinking quickly, she formed a thick ice shield in front of her, and it took the full impact of the attack, shattering it completely as ice shards went everywhere, some nicking Asui across her body, leaving small cuts.

"Give up, Asui." Cyrus stated as he stood on a nearby branch. "You may be one of the best of GUN, but you are weak in comparison to me. You don't stand a chance."

"Don't you know anything about me?" Asui growled. "I am never one to quit, no matter what!"

Asui instantly jumped into the air towards Cyrus and swung her bo staff at him. Cyrus jumped off the branch in time and landed on another one. Asui fired off several shots from Desert Eagle, but Cyrus once again launched himself into the air. Charging up his gauntlets once again, he shot a barrage of electrical spheres at Asui, but the icy cat was prepared, as she put her bo staff away and pulled out her second Desert Eagle, and fired off her own barrage of bullets, which she coated with ice. The electrical spheres and ice bullets all made contact and destroyed one another, and Asui took a chance and launched her self once again at the still mid-air Cyrus. Just as Cyrus was about to react, he felt something rack his body and instantly began coughing blood uncontrollably into his hand. This gave Asui the opportunity to his a hard kick straight in the chest of Cyrus, sending his crashing into a tree, leaving an imprint before falling to the ground.

"Tubercolosis." Asui said thoughtfully as she gracefully landed on the ground, a few feet away from Cyrus. "Your greatest weakness. A disease that not even you can find the cure to, and something that can hinder you at any time. Must be a shame that someone as powerful and intelligent is suffering from such a thing and can do nothing about it."

"True, my disease is something I cannot get rid of, and something that can hit me at anytime." Cyrus admitted as he slowly stood up, wiping the blood from his mouth. "But I have taken enough drugs for it not to be a problem again during this whole fight."

"Doesn't matter." Asui coldy stated. "Disease or not, I will stop you here and now."

Suddenly, the air around them got severely colder, and Cyrus could feel something was coming. The air around Asui suddenly drop below zero degrees Farenheit, and and large amounts of snow began to form in the air around her, as well as the air taking on a bluish color. It all suddenly started to swirl around her at high speeds, almost taking the shape of a cyclone, as the sharpest icicles ever seen began to form in it as well.

"You know my powers, right Cyrus?" Asui questioned rhetorically. "I have the ability to drop the temperatures around me to extremely low degrees in an instant, and then pack it around the water molecules in the air to form snow and ice immediately, and not only form them into any shape I want, but control them as I wish if I use it right. This is my newest technique, Cyrus. You're the first to witness it. So eat this...**Blizzard Storm!"**

Asui thrust her hands out, and on command, the the snow cyclone suddenly exploded, and a giant blizzard made of shot from all sides. Cyrus's eyes widened in shock as snow storm made of ice pellets, icicles, and hail came towards and overtook him.

* * *

"Woah!" Rena exclaimed as she saw a large explosion of snow and ice a couple hunderd yards away. "What was that?"

"Probably Asui, seeing as her powers revolve around ice." Smash deduced. "Now Rena...HELP ME OUT HERE!"

Smash was pinned down by an Op, and was using all his strength to keep his katana from piercing his head with his hands. Rena immediately jumped off the tree she was on and fired off a bolt of lightning from her staff, which struck the Op and knocked him off Smash. The wolf kipped up to his feet and kicked the Op right in the head, sending him barreling into a tree.

"Persistent bastards..." Smash stated with a frown. "They just don't stay down. We got these guys coming at us from all sides, we got a snow explosion from where Asui probably is, now we got raging black clouds in the sky. I swear, this is way too much work."

"Oh quit complaining and kick some butt." Rena scolded.

As the two bickered, though, an Op snuck up behind them and pulled out a pair of Uzis, and prepared to fire when suddenly a pair of plants suddenly sprouted from the ground and wrapped around the Op's wrists and pulled them down, causing him to fire down at the ground. This alerted both Rena and Smash as they turned around, just in time to see the Op lifted into the air and thrown away by the plants.

"That'll teach you not to mess with my friends!" Mina exclaimed passionately.

But as she roared, she felt a fist drive right into her gut, knocking all the wind out of her as she was sent into a tree. She coughed in pain as she looked up and saw the third Op looming over her with a pistol pointed at her head. But before he could pull the trigger, Quimica suddenly slid under him from behind, pulled out a corked test tube from her lab coat filled with a chemical and threw it at the Op. The moment it broke against him and its content spilt all over, it suddenly began burning and melting his armor and skin. The Op staggered back as the pain began to sear at him, starting to thrash a bit as a result.

"That was a close call." Quimica stated. "It's a struggle just to survive, let alone win."

"Well, we gotta win." Mina said determinedly as she stood up. "If we don't, then that fox Asui's fighting will win and..."

They were both punched soundly in the face at the point by the fourth Op, sending them both flying away. Before the Op could make another move, though, Smash launched himself at the Op for a kick, but the shadow agent ducked, letting Smash hit the tree. The Op pulled out his Assault Rifle and opened fire, but Smash managed to push himself out of the way with the tree, landing back beside Rena. Rena suddenly stabbed her staff into the ground, and created a small quake that was sent towards the Op, but the shadow agent jumped into the air. Suddenly, another Op was in the air with him, and one of the Ops grabbed the other and threw him towards the two, firing off an Uzi at the two. Smash and Rena rollled away as the bullets pierced the ground and the Op landed on the ground, the other one landing right beside them and they suddenly turned their guns at the two and began firing at them once again.

"Damn it!" Smash exclaimed as he dodged the bullets. "There has got to be a way to take them down once and for all!"

Mina groaned as she slowly sat up, rubbing her sore cheek. She looked around, and saw not only Smash and Rena trying to dodge the bullets being fired at them by two GUN Ops, but saw that Quimica was now occupied with the last two Ops herself. Suddenly, right there and then, she got an idea, and hoped to hell that it would work. Concentrating, she held her hand out and just as the two Ops were about to strike Quimica at the same time, two giant blocks of woods sprouted from the ground from behind them, hitting them in their backs and sending them crashing them into the other two Ops. Quimica, Smash, and Rena were all surprised at what just happened when Mina closed her eyes as she held out both hands.

"I hope I can do this." Mina quietly said to herself.

She then concentrated as hard as she could as green chaos energy covered her body. Suddenly the ground beneath the Ops began to quake, who stood up cautiously. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she put forth more energy in what she was doing. The ground begin to crack, and the Ops suddenly began to move away, but in one final scream, Mina put forth all her effort and energy, and a surplus of plants, vines, and trees shot out from the ground, consuming all four Ops. It continued to grow and grow, until a giant tower of plants was left in it's wake, and several limbs stuck out from it, the Ops completely trapped in it. Mina fell down to her knees, completely exhausted as sweat rolled down her forehead.

"I can't believe I actually pulled it off." Mina said breathlessly. "That took so much out of me."

"Mina!" Quimica exclaimed as she and the others ran up to her. "That was amazing! I didn't know you could do that!"

"Neither did I." Mina replied exhaustedly.

"Well, you saved us back there, so thanks." Smash stated gratefully.

"Yeah, thank you, Mina." Rena agreed. "I was beginning to wonder if we ever defeat those guys. So thanks a lot."

"But now, we gotta get back to Asui!" Quimica informed them. "She may need our help! No telling what's happening with her!"

* * *

Asui surveyed her surroundings, surprised herself at what has happened. Snow fell from the sky all around her, and two-foot snow covered every inch of ground around the entire area. Icicles hung from branches and leaves as hail and pellets pierced the trees, and several trees were even frozen completely. The Ice Queen took a few steps in the snow, looking for an signs of Cyrus.

"Seems like Cyrus is buried once and for all under all of this, if he wasn't impaled first." Asui said to herself. "Good. I don't think I could pull that off again. I underestimated how much concentration and energy it would consume from me to actually use the technique. But no matter, Cyrus is done for. No way he could've survived that. Now the Twins are safe, and his plans are up in smoke. Now all I have to do is make up a good enough story for the Commander to believe."

"Now Asui, don't go assuming what you don't have proof of."

Asui's eyes widened to the fullest as she turned around, only to be hit by several arcs of electricity. She hissed in pain as she was sent crashing into a tree. She struggled to strand as the arcs of electricity shivered through her body, but her eyes widened as she saw a high-powered stream electricity coming at her. She could do nothing as it struck her dead-on, sending her through the tree and into a huge pile of snow. Several moments passed, and Asui popped out of the snow, breathing heavily as several arcs of electricity bounced of her body, clothes torn and burns planted on all over her body, especially her stomach. Pain racked her body as she opened one of her eyes, which opened wide with shock.

Cyrus stood before her, a long black cannon in the place of his gauntlets, smoke coming out of it having fired his Shock Laser attack. His body was noticeably much more paler, and he was even shivering a bit as ice formed on the edges of his clothes. Cuts and wounds were placed all over the gray fox, frozen blood all over them. Cyrus breathed heavily, his breath taking on the form of steam due to the coldness.

"You survived my Shock Laser." Cyrus noted. "Impressive. You truly are one of the best GUN has to offer."

"Impossible." Asui breathed as she struggled to pull herself out of the snow. "You're supposed to be dead. You shouldn't have survived my Blizzard Storm."

"Blizzard Storm..." Cyrus said analytically, the cannon transforming back into his gauntlets. "A technique which nearly duplicates an exact blizzard, and explodes at you from all sides, so there is no escape as you are buried under feet of snow. And you added projectiles such as icicles and hail so if the snow doesn't get you, they will. An impressive technique, one that almost got me, but I'm quick on my feet. Snow and ice, as it is known, melts under heat, and electricity produces such heat. So using my powers over the electricity in the air, I fired against the snow to melt as much of the snow and ice coming my way to protect myself, I even had to use a few Shock Piercers to do so. Now, as you can see, it was not a complete success. It did overwhelm me quite a bit a few times, but as you can see, I managed to survive."

"Damn it..." Asui hissed. "And here I was hoping you be dead for good after that."

"But even you know, this is it." Cyrus stated monotonously. "We are both exhausted, used up much of our energy, and have been completely worn down and torn apart from the other's attacks. This is the climatic finish, and whoever wins could decide the fate of the world."

"If that's how it is..." Asui replied, pulling out her bo staff. "Then I'm all for it. Bring it on, Cyrus."

* * *

Oliver White roared like an animal as he went on his rampage, swiping his swords in the air as he kept sending down light and dark wave down at his victims, who were scrambling as fast they could to avoid them. Oliver then suddenly dropped down from the sky and crashed down to the ground, shattering it completely all around, throwing many off balance and off their feet. He then opened his mouth and fired a powerful stream of darkness from it at the forest, destroying a chunk of it. He began doing the same at the others, who dodged as they best they could as they knew one hit could be the end of them in the condition they were in.

"Damn it." Havoc muttered. "All that work of keeping our powers away from others...reduced to this..." He looked down at Shine, who was sitting down, hugging his knees to his chest. "Are you okay, Shine?"

"Yeah." Shine nodded, then turned to Havoc with sad eyes. "I'm...I'm sorry, Havoc. This really is all my fault. If I had listen to you, and not gone off and seperated form you then..."

"It's not your fault, Shine." Havoc stated comfortingly, ignoring the chaos around them. "We had been found out anyways, and it's just our dumb luck that it all lead to this."

The two hung their downs in sadness and near despair, not knowing what else to do with their powers stolen away from them. Suddenly, their heard a voice screaming for them, and they turned their heads to see Tikal running towards them.

"Shine!" she screamed as she came up to them, and began checking the white hedgehog. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Injured?"

"N-No, I-I'm fine." Shine stammered, slightly blushing from such concern. "I'm okay, really."

"That's a relief." Tikal breathed out. She then turned towards the rampaging Oliver. "What are we going to do? If we don't stop him soon, he won't just kill everyone, but he'll bring the entire island down as well."

"I...I don't know what to do." Havoc replied.

"Wow!" Sonic exclaimed as he barely dodged an incoming wave of light, landing beside the trio. "That was a close call. I was nearly toasted." He turned his attention to the Twins. "Okay, we got ourselves a new super-powerful being that's lost his mind and is destroying the place. Any ideas?"

"No, I don't know how..." Havoc began.

"Ah crap!" Hope shouted as he was blown by an explosion and sent crashing down beside them. Groaning, he looked up at all of them. "We can't handle much more of this. Someone's got to know how to stop this guy!"

"I DON'T KNOW HOW!" Havoc shouted in frustration. "Just because we're the Gaia Twins doesn't mean we know the solution to this problem, damn it! We couldn't control our powers, so we don't know the extent of them! Just stop coming to me like this! AH!"

Havoc slammed down his fist onto the ground into frustration, and for a moment, all around him forgot the destruction and chaos, and realized the pressure they were putting on him at the moment.

"Um...we could wait it out?" Tikal suggested hoepfully. "Oliver did say stealing powers from others was only temporary. If we could wait until they leave him, then we're all safe."

"But at the rate he's going, Oliver will destroy all of us before then." Hope replied grimly. "And he said that the powers were staying with him longer then usual. I don't want to take the chance they may have latched onto him permanently."

"Well he's got to have a weakness." Sonic stated determinedly. "Everyone does." He turned to the Twins hesitantly. "I know you don't want the pressure, but we can't figure this out on our own. Did you guys ever have a weakness in those Gaia Forms? Were you ever brought down in any way?"

Havoc hated the pressure placed on him, but he knew they counted on him, since Shine had nothing on what their Gaia Forms could do. So he closed his eyes in deep thought, remember what he could on his Gaia Form. Was their a weakness to them? Could they really be stopped? Were they invincible? He almost gave up until he remembered something. It was his encounted with Asui back in Soleanna, and when he transformed into his Gaia Form before her. She should've been dead, but he woke up with bandages over several gunshot wounds. It was then the wheels in his mind began to turn, and then suddenly, a line broke through his subconscious.

_"You really...do have...the power of a god. But even so...your body...is still...mortal."_

"That's it!" Havoc shouted in inspiration, surprising everyone. "Our one true weakness in Gaia Forms! I remember transforming in front of Asui, but when I came to, I was wounded. How could I be? How was it possible with the power I had? And then the answer came to me. Our body's are still mortal! Even with all the god-like power, we are still prone to be cut and shot! That's our weakness!"

"So you're saying that your bodies can still be hurt in the Gaia state?" Tikal questioned. "But, Sonic and the others fought you two and they hit you several times, and you weren't hurt."

"Punches and energy blasts of that kind aren't enough." Havoc shook his head. "We can withstand those in our Gaia Forms. But a well-timed strike with something that can pierce the body should be enough. After all, many times all it takes to end a battle is one well-placed hit, right?"

Everyone suddenly turned to Hope, who looked at them in confusion until he realized the sword he held in his hands. Now knowing what they intended, he looked up at them with determined eyes.

"Looks like it's up to me." Hope replied.

"Yeah, but we need to create a window of opportunity for you." Havoc explained. "With all the power Oliver has, it will be near impossible to get close enough for you to strike him. That's why we're going to have only one chance to do this. When you get that moment, you strike, and whether you kill him or strike him enough to send him into unconsciousness, it should be enough to dissipitate the powers. Though, I think you should kill him just to put him out of his misery. He's long gone by now."

"So...one shot, huh?" Hope asked. He turned his attention to the rampaging Oliver, and narrowed his eyes. "Let's do this."

* * *

**The end looks to be near as Hope and his allies look to stop the rampaging Oliver, and Asui and Cyrus look to decide the outcome of their intense battle. Will Hope be able to get the one critical hit on Oliver? Can Asui stop Cyrus' plans of madness once and for all? What will be the ultimate fate of the Gaia Twins? Don't miss the climatic finale to the Project Gaia Arc in the next chapter of Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell.**


	23. Project Gaia Part 5

**Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell**

_A/N: After this chapter, I will begin revision on the first seven chapters of this story, in order to make the beggining more fluid and better than it obviusly looks. Enjoy this chapter. _

Project Gaia Part 5

Oliver roared with great ferocity as he flew across the black sky, chasing Tails, as the yellow fox, his twirling twin tails allowing him flight, flew as fast he could to get away from the transformed human. Tired of the chase, Oliver began throwing dark energy spears at the young kitsune. Tails turned his head around in time to see them coming, and began swerving around the air, dodging the dark spears as best as he could as they flew past him. Frustrated, Oliver sneered as he began charging up a large of amount of light energy into his right hand, but before he could throw it at the fox, a spiked fist suddenly struck him right in the face, disrupting his energy. Knuckles bared his teeth with narrow eyes at Oliver, hoping to have done some damage to the monster. But the transformed human didn't even flinch, and only growled angrily as he grabbed Knuckles by the throat and with all his might threw him at Tails. The two-tailed fox turned his head back to Oliver for a moment and he was met with an airbourne Knuckles colliding with him, sending them both crashing down to the ground. Oliver then formed a giant sphere of light in his hands, and raised it above his head and threw it down at the two. But just as it was about to strike them, Chaos suddenly came in and fired off several Chaos Spears at it, which caused it to implode righ tin front of three, blowing them away. Oliver growled in disdain, but as he did, Metal Sonic appeared above him, massive amounts of electricity gathered in both of his hands.

"Eat high voltage, you animal!" Metal shouted defiantly. **"Voltage Blaster!"**

Metal then thrust both of his hands foward, firing unstable streams of electricity from both of them at Oliver. The transformed human, however, swiftly turned around, dissipitating the sphere of light, and brought his hands ups, blocking the full force of the electric streams. Metal was taken completely off-guard, and Oliver took advantage as he opened his mouth, firing a huge blast of dark energy from it, consuming Metal completely. The metallic doppleganger began to fall to the ground below, but Oliver, wanting more damage, flew swiftly towards the falling Metal Sonic, clasping his hands together, and brought them down on the machine with all his might, sending him crashing down to the ground, creating a crater upon impact. Oliver howled at the black sky before firing off light and dark blasts around the area, destroying as much as he possibly could.

"Dammit..." Knuckles groaned as he pushed himself to a standing position. "He's too damn powerful. No mattter what we hit him with, he's not phazed by any of it!"

"There has to be a way to stop him." Tails stated hopefully. "We've been in situations like this before, where there doesn't seem to be any hope. Yet, we always find a way to win. So there has to be a way to win now...right?"

"I...doubt it." Metal managed to say as he crawled out of the crater. "He has the power of two gods at his disposal, and it seems he's impervious to all of our attacks and techniques. I hate to say it, but I don't think there's a chance of winning."

"You're wrong, Metal Sonic." Chaos stated thoughtfully. "I have been through so much as the God of Destruction in my many millenia of living, and one thing I've learned is no one is unbeatable, no matter how powerful. There is a way to win. We cannot give up.

"I'm not one for giving up myself...," Metal replied monotonously. "But face it: Do you see any chance of victory here?"

"One chance for victory coming up!"

The three barely had time to react as Sonic sped his way up to between the three, his signature grin on his face, as Hope landed right beside him, his sword gripped tightly in his hand.

"Sonic!" Tails and Knuckles exclaimed.

"About time you came back, blue rodent." Metal stated emotionlessly. "I know you well enough to know you wouldn't just run away from a fight, no matter how hopeless it is." Sonic's grin just got wider in response. "But what the hell do you mean 'one chance for victory coming up'? There is no way to win."

"That's where you're wrong, my doppleganger." Sonic replied confidently. "For me and Hope have just discovered a way to finally take down that psycho monster once and for all!"

"What?" Knuckles shouted in disbelief. "You can't be serious! You have a way to stop Oliver?"

"Yep." Sonic nodded. "But in order for it to work, we're going to need everyone's help. Tails, Knuckes, Metal, we're going to do all we can create a hole in Oliver's rampage long enough for Hope to strike him down."

"The white hedgehog?" Metal asked incredulously, looking at Hope. "What the hell makes you think he'll even be able to actually hurt Oliver?"

"It does seem unrealistic that Hope can do what none of us have come close to doing." Chaos pointed out.

"No time to explain." Hope replied seriously. "I know it sounds far-fetched since nothing else has worked, but I'm going to need you all to trust me and Sonic and give me an opening. Can you do that?"

"Sonic..." Knuckles said slowly. "What you're suggesting, considering what we're up against, is one of the most dangerous, risky, idiotic, and suicidal ideas that I have ever heard! And coming from you...it's bound to work. I'm in!"

"Me too!" Tails added determinedly. "No doubt it's very risky, but you've always pulled through with us in the end! And if this is our only option, then I gues all we can do is go for it!"

"You do have a knack for pulling out victories when everything seems hopless." Chaos stated. "And you seem to have faith that Hope can do that, so I will help out as well."

"Metal?" Hope spoke to the silent machine. "You in? We can't do this without you."

"...I hate all of you." Metal stated calmly. "I always have, and always will. But...even I agree that this monster must be stopped, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually desperate enough to work with all of you in this suicide run."

"Glad to have you aboard, Metal." Sonic grinned appreciatively; Metal "hmphed" in response.

"Okay guys, now that you're all on board, we're only going to have one shot at this." Hope informed them; he looked up at the still rampaging Oliver and narrowed his eyes. "So let's make that one shot count!"

* * *

Asui backflipped away as a sphere of electricity made contact with the spot she was standing at moments ago, melting the snow. Cyrus dashed towards the cat as she landed and thrust his claw at her, coating it in electricity. The GUN Captain ducked in time to avoid it and then jabbed her elbow into his chest. The fox was winded by the shot, staggering back a bit as Asui swung her bo staff for his head. Cyrus, on instinct, caught the staff before it connected, and then pushed it into her stomach, which sent her into a tree. The icy cat gasped for breath upon impact, and as she looked up at Cyrus, her eyes widened as she moved her head to the side, Cyrus' claw piercing the tree where her head had been moments ago. Asui swiftly backed away from the fox, pulling her bo staff from his grasp in the process.

"You certainly are a hard cat to kill." Cyrus stated monotonously, pulling his claw out of the tree. "Your will to live is certainly amazing."

"Well, I have to admit, you're a tough customer yourself." Asui replied with narrowed eyes. "It's easy to see why you're a GUN Colonel with the power you possess."

"True, but your skills are also impressive." Cyrus noted. "The fact that you are just a Captain is slightly insulting to someone of your level. It's a shame though that your fighting for the wrong cause. I could've truly used someone like you."

"Save me your bullshit, I'm not hearing it!" Asui growled dangerously. "You have this goddamn complex that what you think is best for this world, and that your will and thoughts should be imposed on everyone else, whether they like it or not! Well, newsflash, you don't know what's best for this world! No one person does! What you want is just an illusion! I like the way I think, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you change even a bit of it!"

"So naive." Cyrus shook his head. "People do not know what is best for them. This world is on a path of self-destruction, and what I offer is its only salvation. But if you will not see reason...then you will be a sacrifice for the New World Order!"

Cyrus moved swiftly towards the icy cat and once again thrust his claw at her head. Asui easily stepped to the side to avoid it, but Cyrus shot his knee towards her stomach. Asui managed to block it just in time with her forearm, and as she pushed it away she pulled out her Desert Eagle and aimed for his head, but the fox swiftly knocked it out of her hand, sending it down to the snow. He then shot an arc of electricity at her, which struck her in the chest and sent her landing in the snow on her back. Cyrus pounced on her, stabbing his claw at her head. Asui brought her bo staff up in time to intercept the attack, the tip of the claw embedding itself in the wood.

The two struggled against one another for a few moments until Asui brought her foot up to his chest and pushed Cyrus off with it. The fox landed a few feet away from her, but Asui quickly kipped up to her feet, and in the blink of an eye, pulled out her second Desert Eagle and began firing at the fox. Acting quickly, Cyrus ran away and began circling the icy cat, dodging bullets as he did so. Asui kept up her firing until she ran out of ammo, and Cyrus saw this, so quickly, he fired an arc of electricity which struck the gun right out of her hand.

Asui hissed in pain as her hand was singed in the process, and in response, she thrust her bo staff forward, ice spikes shooting out from its top towards Cyrus. The GUN Colonel jumped over them and fired off a sphere of electricity at Asui. The cat jumped to the side to avoid it, but Cyrus landed right by her and kneed her in the gut. Asui gasped in pain, and on instinct threw a punch at the fox, but it was caught by Cyrus. The grey fox then formed a sphere of electricity in his hand and thrust it right into her stomach. It exploded on impact, sending Asui crashing down into the snow, her stomach badly burnt.

The GUN Captain struggled to stand up, only to see an electricy-coated claw heading straight for her. She rolled away in time before Cyrus stabbed her and swiftly got up to a kneeling position, though painfully. She formed an thick spear of ice in her hand and with all her might threw it at the fox, but Cyrus summoned his Plasma Shields, blocking the spear of ice and shattering it. Following that, Cyrus gathered electricity into his gauntlets and then fired it in a blast at Asui, striking her dead-on, sending her away and falling face-first into the snow.

The GUN Captain groaned in pain as she struggled to keep her eyes open, but as she did, she suddenly caught sight of one of her Desert Eagle guns, lying in the snow just a few feet away. She slowly crawled towards it, but as she did, Cyrus begin gathering even larger amounts of electricity into his gauntlets.

"Escape is futile, Asui Hikaru." Cyrus proclaimed. "You were truly one of the greatest opponents I have ever faced, one of my most difficult challenges, but like others before, you could not stop me. It is a shame that someone with such promise must die, but if I let you live, you will only continue to be a nuisance. Goodbye, Captain Asui. **Shock Piercer!**"

And with those words said, Cyrus thrust his gauntlet forward and fired off his Shock Piercer, yet as he did, Asui lunged off the ground and grabbed her Desert Eagle, she swiftly turned around, only to see the Shock Piercer coming at her. It quickly engulfed her before exploding upon impact, consuming the cat completely. Cyrus watched emotionlessly as smoke now occupied the space she once stood at.

_"Finally, my greatest obstacle in this whole ordeal is gone." _Cyrus thought._ "But thanks to her, I am left too weak to truly take the power of the Gaia Twins of my own by force. This is my only opportunity though, for now, so I will go to their location and wait for the right moment and..."_

"ASUI!"

Cyrus turned his head towards the source of the voice, and found the group of Quimica, Rena, Smash, and Mina looking at him, horror etched on their faces, especially of Quimica.

"What did you do to Asui?" Quimica exclaimed.

"Isn't it obvious?" Cyrus replied casually. "I killed her. She didn't make it easy, but she is dead."

"You killed her?" Mina shouted in shock.

"Yes, and if you don't get out of my way, you'll meet the same fate." Cyrus warned.

"No way!" Rena replied defiantly. "We're not going to let you get away with this! And besides, it's four-on-one! You can't win!"

"Even if I am weakened and outnumbered, you four are not nearly strong enough to defeat me." Cyrus stated confidently. "I can see you will not let me go, so I will deal with you all swiftly."

Cyrus charged up his gauntlets with electricity, and the four prepared themselves for the fight that was to come. Cyrus brought his hand up and was about to launch a quick attack when a gunshot was heard. Every stood frozen where they stood, all in shock. Cyrus' eyes were wide open as he stared at the four in front of him, and slowly looked down at his chest, which was now pouring blood from a bullet wound. Cyrus turned his head around, and there stood Asui, breathing heavily and barely standing as blood flowed from various parts of her body, pointing her Desert Eagle right at him, smoke coming from the barrel. Shock was coursing through him at her survival, but then he noticed ice covering various parts of her body, broken up and cracked.

"Creating an armor of ice around your body at the last minute to reduce the amount of damage done to you enough to avoid death..." Cyrus analyzed; he looked Asui dead in the eye. "Impressive."

Asui said nothing as she stared coldly at the GUN Colonel before firing four more rounds at her. Cyrus gasped in pain as each one struck him in the back, falling down to his knees. With one last breath, his eyes slowly closed as his body fell down face-first into the snow. Blood poured from his wounds, staining the snow he laid upon, giving it the color of a rose.

"Sayonara...Colonel Cyrus the Fox." Asui whispered, collasping down into the snow.

"Asui!" Quimica exclaimed as she and the others rushed to her side.

"Are you alright?" Mina asked worried as they saw Asui struggling to stand up.

"I've definitely been through hell and back." Asui groaned as she got to her hands and knees. "But I'll live. I assume you took care of the Ops."

"Yeah, they were stubborn bastards, but we got them." Smash informed her.

"Good." Asui replied; she looked at the fox's body before her. "Finally...Cyrus' New World Order comes to an end before it begins. All his plans...they're done for."

"That Cyrus guy really creeped me out, even if I only knew him for a few minutes at the most." Rena noted. "So...now what do we do? I don't think we'll be able to get back to the others in time, especially with how Asui is."

Everyone fell silent at the problem that was presented to them. They could feel that their friends and allies were in trouble at the Shrine, but with the injuries they sustained, as well as their exhaustion. They would never get there in time to help them, but as everyone mulled this over, Asui spoke up.

"...Do you all recall Cyrus using a ship to get here?" Asui asked.

* * *

Oliver formed another light spear in his hand threw it into another section of the forest, obliterating it completely and leaving a large crater in its place. Growling, Oliver formed a dark spear and was about to throw it until he heard a voice.

"Yo, psycho monster, over here!" Oliver stopped mid-throw and looked down to the ground to see Sonic with a smug grin on his face. "I don't know if you can understand this, but for a guy that is supposed to superior to all of us, I have to say I'm disappointed. I mean is this seriously the best you can do? I've fought guys that made situations seem more hopless than..."

Sonic never finished as he dashed away just in time to avoid the dark spear that was thrown at him. The blue hedgehog smirked, knowing that Oliver likely didn't understand what he was saying, he had gotten his attention. Soon enough, the transformed human was now giving chase to the speedy hedgehog, flying through the sky. But as he got close to him, Tails suddenly came out nowhere and gave Oliver a kick to the face. Tails moved to the right as Oliver immediately swiped at him, and the human held up both of his hands and began firing a barrage of light and dark sphere at Tails. The kitsune dodged as much as he could until Knuckles suddenly came into the fray, jumping up to Oliver and slamming his fist into his torso. It didn't have any effect and Oliver continued firing at Tails.

"No one ignores me!" Knuckles shouted.** "Inferno Fist Barrage!"**

Both of his arms were suddenly covered in flames, and the echidna began bashing his fists against the transformed human at a frantic pace. Oliver finally took notice and stopped his barrage of spheres, and looked down at Knuckles with an animalistic growl. He swiftly grabbed one of his arms, stopping his attack, and threw him down to the ground. The echidna managed to land on his feet, albeit with difficulty, and Tails immediately went to his side. Oliver powered up both of his hands with light and dark energy, when several Chaos Spears suddenly struck him from behind, garnering his attention. He turned around to find Chaos above him, firing yet two more Chaos Spears at him. Oliver easily swiped through them, but then Chaos dived down and was about to throw a powerful punch when Oliver suddenly opened his mouth and from it came a flash of light that blew Chaos away and down to the ground. Oliver was about to go after him when suddenly a certain machine appeared in front of him.

"Remember me?" Metal asked menacingly.

Metal immediately thrust his claws forward, aiming for between Oliver's eyes, but the transformed human easily caught the hand before it reached him. Staring the machine dead in the eyes, he shrieked as he slowly crushed the metallic hand, following it with wrapping his free hand around the machine's neck, slowly crushing it as well. Metal tried to pry out of the human's grip, but to no avail. Just when he was about to be finished, Sonic jumped towards them, appearing above Oliver, and with all his might, planted both of his feet on his back, forcing him to release his grip in surprise and sending him down a few feet. As Oliver was momentarily stunned, Metal and Sonic gave each other a silent glance in mid-air, and then nodded to one another in agreement. The blue hedgehog curled into ball form, and as he spun in the air, his metallic doppleganger brought his foot up, and with all his strength brought it down on Sonic, kicking him like a soccer ball straight down to Oliver with incredible force. Oliver quickly looked up to notice the incoming Sonic, but was not fast enough as Sonic struck him dead-on, both crashing down to the ground in a huge impact. Sonic immediately uncurled and jumped away the moment Oliver struck the ground.

"Hope!" Sonic shouted to the air. "Now's your chance! Finish him off!"

With those words said, Hope suddenly came out from some nearby trees he was hiding in, waiting for an opportunity such as this. The white hedgehog dashed quickly towards Oliver's location and jumped in the air, hovering above Oliver, who laid imprinted on the ground motionless. Hope dived down, his sword positioned downwards, ready to stab him through the chest. But suddenly, Oliver's eyes shot open, surprising Hope, and with a mighty roar, a beam of light and darkness erupted from his chest, and Hope could do nothing in the air except but get struck by it. The white hedgehog was blown away by the beam, slowly falling down to the ground in a smoking heap, everyone else looking on in shock.

"No way..." Sonic muttered shakingly. "That should've been it...Oliver shouldn't have been able to do that..."

Suddenly, before anyone knew what happened, a powerful wave of light erupted from Oliver and struck Sonic and his allies, blasting them all away from him. The five fell to the ground, the last of their strength and will completely drained from them as Oliver rose from the ground, hovering a few feet above the ground. Snarling, he held his hands out to his sides, and in began gathering light and darkness in each one. But as he did, he failed to notice about Tikal and the Gaia Twins, who stood a ways off from the battle site, looking on at the scene.

"This...this can't be..." Tikal whispered in shock. "They lost...just when they were about to defeat him...he took them all out with ease...like he was toying with them."

Shine just looked on in despair at the whole situation, not knowing what to do at all. But Havoc just stared at what laid before him, and as he did, he clenched his fists tightly, a resolve burning deep in his eyes.

"I won't let this happen..." Havoc stated through gritted teeth; Shine and Tikal turned towards him in surprise. "I won't let this monster destroy everything...I won't let our powers annihiate this whole world...I'm tired of being helpless...I'm tired of running...Now, I'm going to do something about it!"

"But if you try to face him, he'll rip you to shreds!" Tikal shouted at him.

"That's a chance I'm willing to take, if it means giving the others a chance..." Havoc told her; he turned to his twin. "Shine, are you with me?" The white hedgehog looked in surprise. "I can't do this alone, you know. I know you hate this kind of stuff, but no more running. We can't let Oliver do this, and you know it."

"But he has our powers..." Shine retorted meekly.

"That doesn't matter!" Havoc exclaimed passionately. "So what if he has our Gaia powers? I'll fight him to the end, if I have to! I won't let him destroy what I've come to care for! Are you going to let Oliver destroy Angel Island? Kill your friends?" Havoc stared him dead in the eyes. "...Destroy Tikal? Because I'm pretty sure with the power that monster has, he'll find a way, even if she's a spirit...No more running. We have to save everyone. Are you with me?"

Shine looked at his twin brother in shock as his words began to take effect on the white hedgehog. Soon, after what felt like an eternity of silence, Shine spoke up.

"Yes..." Shine said softly. "I won't let him hurt anyone else anymore. I won't let him destroy Angel Island. I won't let him hurt you, hurt Knuckles, hurt Chaos, or even lay even a tiny bit of damage to Tikal in any form. Like you said...no more running."

"Shine..." Tikal spoke in surprise.

The white hedgehog just gave a small smile to her, and turned back to his brother. The twins nodded to one another and dashed towards the battle site. Meanwhile, Hope groaned loudly in pain as burns covered his body, and slowly struggled to his hands and knees, clutching his blade tightly. He slowly looked up, catching sight of his allies, all lying down around the area defeated.

"Damn it..." Hope murmurred painfully. "We were so close...I can't let him win. I can't let this happen...I..."

He was taken away from his train of thought when he finally noticed Oliver hovering a ways from him, large amounts of light and darkness gathering in both of his hands. Suddenly he brought his hands together, melding the two energies together forcefully. In his hands now stood an unstable sphere of black and white, a forced pool of light and darkness, surging from its confines in an attempt to escape. Oliver locked eyes with Hope, staring at one another for a few moments before the transformed raised the dangerous energy in his hands over his head. The snow white hedgehog's eyes widened as fear and realization instantly gripped his heart.

"Shit...," was all he could say.

Right as Oliver was about to throw unstable sphere right towards Hope, two figures suddenly jumped onto the back of the monster, startling him and causing him to throw it into the air. The unstable energy shot straight up into the sky for several seconds, and when it was a few hundred feet above the island, it imploded in a giant expanse of white and black, covering the sky completely. The wind blew violently against the white hedgehog, who covered his eyes with his forearm to shield from the brightness. When it died down, Hope slowly opened his eyes, which darted around the area before stunned realization came on him that they weren't dead. He turned his head towards Oliver, and his expression to one shocked horror.

"Havoc! Shine!" he exclaimed.

The twins hedgehogs had latched themselves onto the transformed human in a last ditch effort. Havoc had wrapped his arms around the neck in a sleeper hold, simultaneiously wrapping his legs around the torso, gripping as hard as he could, and Shine had wrapped himself around his Oliver's waist, eyes shut tight and not letting go. Oliver thrashed about as hard as he could, pulling at the two to get them off, but the Gaia Twins would not budge.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Hope questioned fearfully.

"Giving you a chance!" Havoc replied adamantly. "We're giving you an opportunity! While we're grabbing his attention, take him out! No room for argument!"

"Please, Hope, end this!" Shine squealed, fear overwhelming him. "You have to! End this nightmare!"

Oliver then shot up high in the air, getting angry at the two clutching hedgehogs on his body. Watching Oliver go up into the air, Hope pondered the words, and knew that this was his last chance. He gripped his sword with a renewed resolve and looked around the plain, befoer settling his eyes on Knuckles. The red echidna laid on the ground, weak and exhausted, but Hope needed him for one last task. The snow white hedgehog ran up to the echidna, and kneel down. Knuckles opened his eyes, and was met with Hope's blue orbs.

"Hope..." Knuckes groaned out.

"Knuckles, I know you don't have much left, but I need your help one last time." Hope pleaded desperately. "Havoc and Shine have latched themselves onto Oliver, distracting him. They've given me one last chance to end this, but he's in the air. I need you to throw me at him. I'll deal with the rest."

The red ecidna took in the words of Hope, before nodding in understanding. Knuckles forced himself up, despite his body's protest. Pain rattled every part of him, but he knew he had a job to do. He looked at Hope, who nodded in return, and grabbed him by his jacket's collar. He took aim at Oliver, who was still in the sky, and summoning the last bit of his strength, threw Hope with all of his might at him, collapsing to the ground afterwards.

Oliver thrashed against the twin hedgehogs gripping him tightly, clawing and punching them as hard as he could, but they would not let go. Havoc gritted his teeth harshly, ignoring his body's urges to let go, but soon he felt a presence nearing them. Opening his eyes a bit, he managed to catch Hope flying towards them like a missile. Knowing this was it, he shouted at his brother.

"Shine!" he exclaimed. "Let go! Now!"

Shine was startled at what his brother said, but nodded and the twins let go pushed themselves off of Oliver, falling to the ground below. Oliver looked on in confusion, but quickly felt a presence heading towards him. Turning his head downwards, he saw Hope shooting towards him at lightning quick speed, his sword readied. Roaring in anger, he raised his hand and gather dark energy for a blast, but as Hope neared him, the white hedgehog narrowed his eyes and gave a mighty battle cry, and with every ounce of his energy, swung his blade before Oliver could fire, a shine in its edge.

The pure white blade was stained with red as it sliced across the chest of Oliver, blood pouring out of the newfound wound. Hope was faintly aware of some blood staining his white fur, but his focus was one Oliver as for a split secnd, their eyes met. As they stared at each other, Oliver's expression was filled with shock and pain, while Hope's was one of determination and resolve. And it quickly passed, as Hope passed the human, and for a few moments Oliver hung there as if frozen in time. He then let out a shriek of pain that threatened to consume him, and it was soon followed by an explosion of light and darkness that consumed him completely, blowing away Hope in the process. As this happened, two energy streams, one white and one purple, poured out of the explosion, and slowly they made their way down to the ground, and soon enough, they found Shine and Havoc, who were lying on the ground unconscious. The energy streams entered the two hedgehogs, who glowed briefly before it disappeared.

As the explosion began to dissipitate, Hope took notice of a body falling down to the ground just as he was. Upon closer inspection, he found that it was Oliver himself, eyes closed and a peaceful expression on his face. The human crashed down to the ground silently, dead or alive, Hope couldn't tell. Yet, the white hedgehog smiled to himself as he neared the ground and said one thing.

"We did it..." he whispered, and he soon he fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

When this all began, Eggman thought that he could control the powers of Gaia. That with his intellect, he would surely find a way to harness their powers for his own desires, that only he could do wonders with the powers of gods. But as he surveyed the carnage that now stood before him from his damanged Eggmobile, he was no longer sure about that.

_"Was I wrong?"_ Eggman thought to himself. _"I am the greatest scientific mind in the world. With such intellect, it should be no problem to find a way to control these powers. Yet...look at what has happened, this carnage. This is what happened when someone tried to take control of such powers. Would this...be my fate? Would I lose myself just like that Oliver boy? Are we ready for the powers ogf gods?"_

After pondering on this for a few minutes, he reached a conclusion. Silently, he turned on his Eggmobile, which activated with a strained whir. Floating up, it flew towards the battlefield, and as it did, Eggman glanced at the Gaia Twins laying on the ground. Eggman sighed, moved towards Metal, and from the hull came out a claw which grabbed the machine, and without a word said, flew away from the island.

_"I can't risk it." _Eggman reasoned. _"It took a demonstration, but it looks like even I'm not ready for this power. Besides, there will always be other opportunities. My day will come, I am sure of it."_

* * *

Tikal watched the doctor fly away into the sky with Metal in tow, not a word said from him. She was stunned that he did not take advantage of the situation, but she knew that was not relevant right now. Turning her attention towards the battlefield, despair slowly crept. The destruction that laid before her was frightening, and she could do nothing to help those in need. But she was so wrapped up in her despair, she almost didn't notice something fly over her. Looking up, she saw a small black ship with the letters "GUN" printed on its side slowly land on the ground. As it did, the back opened, allowing it's occupants to exit, which were none other than Quimica, Rena, Smash, Mina, and Asui, the latter being helped along by Mina.

"Damn..." Smash breathed out. "This place looks like a damn warzone."

"And everyone here took one hell of a beating." Quimica added. "Just what happened here?"

"Guys!" The five turned their heads to see Tikal, on the verge of tears. "Please, help them! They're injured, and who knows what will happen if they don't get medical attention!"

"There were a few first aid kits in the ship." Rena pointed out. "Would those do?"

"Yeah, those will do." Asui nodded. "You guys get the first aid, I'm going to check on everyone."

The four looked to argue, but her cold stare left room for none. Reluctantly agreeing, Mina let go of Asui before they headed back to the ship. She slowly limped himself around the battlefield, checking on all the people that had been taken to the limit. Slowly, she soon came to Hope, and what she oddly noticed that despite being unconscious, he somehow had a smile on his face. Despite not knowing what happened, she nodded in respect to this hedgehog.

"You did good, kid." Asui stated softly. "You did good."

* * *

**Three Days Later**

The GUN Commander sat down at his desk, looking over the report that he had been just given. Rereading it to make sure there were no mistakes in the paperwork, he lowered it to look at Asui standing across from the desk, an eyebrow being raised.

"Is this all true, Asui?" the Commander questioned. "Is everything here accurate?"

"Yes, Commander." Asui confirmed, bandages adorning parts of her body. "It's all true. I protected the Gaia Twins to the best of my ability as you ordered, and kept them from the wrong hands. But, I've come to the conclusion that no one, not even GUN, is ready for that power, and it takes a lot for me to say something like that. The war that took place on Angel Island was the result of man trying to play god, and we paid the price for it. It seems even Eggman himself realizes that we're not ready for this. That is why I left the Gaia Twins on Angel Island, in the care of the Master Emerald Guardian, Knuckles. I am sorry I couldn't bring them back to GUN, but I did what I thought was best."

Silence overtook the room as the Commander looked over the GUN Captain. Asui stood her front, knowing that what she did was right, no matter the consequence. Eventually, the Commander let out a deep sigh.

"Perhaps you are right." the Commander stated. "It would've been great to have such powers at our disposal, but from your descriptions of what happened at Angel Island, perhaps this is for the best. In any case, though, you managed to keep the Gaia Twins out of the wrong hands, so in this case, I think this mission is a success."

Asui let out a small, barely noticeable at this news. "Thank you, sir." she noddded gratefully.

He looked over the report once again. "This Oliver White..." he began. "The one who managed to take the powers of Gaia for himself..."

"His body and mind weren't ready for such power." Asiu explained. "It completely overwhelmed him, and turned him into an animal. Despite taking a great injury in the end, he managed to survive. He is currently in custody, and his mother has been notified, though we had to give her a false story, to keep this all secret. Though from what I heard from Sonic and the others, this young man has seriously mental and emotional problems. I recommend sending him to a mental institution, get him the help he needs."

"Done." the Commander said without hesitation. "We don't need anymore psychopaths than we already have. But Cyrus..."

"It is a shame we lost him, sir." Asui stated solemenly. "He somehow managed to catch wind of my mission, and he felt that I couldn't do this on my own. He managed to find me just in time before the war on Angel Island began. he sacrificed his life to save mine. Completely obliterated, not trace of his body remains."

"He will forever be remembered as one of the greates that GUN ever had." the Commander stated respectfully. "A true inspiration."

Asui nodded in response. _"Sometimes a lie is better than the truth." _she thought to herself.

"As for Quimica...and this Team Crystallix..." the Commander pointed out.

"Quimica was a bystander that was forced to come along with me when chased by Eggman. She was extremely helpful in her own way, though. I offered her a new home in Soleanna, but she opted to stay on Angel Island, finding solace with her new friend. Team Crystallix...they were a great help in stopping Oliver, especially Hope the Hedgehog. They left after they were healed up and things settled down, but I feel we will see them again."

The Commander nodded in response, and looking over the report one final time, he stood up and made a way to a file cabinet. Opening a drawer, he slid the report in the classified section, and closed it. Turning back to Asui, he opened his mouth to speak when the door behind her opened up and the two were greeted by a familar hedgehog.

"Shadow!" they exclaimed.

"Shadow, explain why you've been gone for nearly a week without contact." the Commander demanded.

"I apologize for not reporting in sooner, but I had an encounter with a powerful enemy a few days ago." Shadow explained. "He managed to defeat me, and take the Chaos Emerald I had. I couldn't ignore this, so I've spent the past few days gathering as much information as I could on him, and I feel he is threat to all of Earth."

"He defeated you?" Asui asked with wide eyes. "Impossible! Who the hell is this guy?"

"He calls himself Chaos the Hedgehog."

* * *

In an unknown location, two figures occupied a room where darkness domianted. Both wore purple cloaks with black flames adorning the cuffs and flaps, black gloves, black boots, lightning-patterns around the collar in the form of a V, and the symbol of a crescent moon with a meteor passing it on the back. Yet one figure kneeled before the other, who sat upon a makeshift stone throne.

"Cyrus the Fox is dead, my lord." the first informed.

"As was expected." the second replied calmly. "He played with forces that were beyond his understanding, and he paid the ultimate price for it."

"Are we to strike now, my lord?" the first asked emotionlessly.

"No." the second answered, looking up at the ceiling. "Our time will come, but it is not now. For now, we will wait and watch."

"Understood, my lord."

* * *

**The crisis of Gaia has finally ended, but as one problem ends, another arises. When will Chaos reemerge to wreak havoc? What will be done about the self-proclaimed God of Destruction? And who are these mysterious cloaked figures? Find out in the next chapter of Shining Hope: Heaven and Hell.**


End file.
